Former terror prosecutor petitions for Guantanamo closure
***PRESS RELEASE***
FORMER GUANTANAMO CHIEF PROSECUTOR LAUNCHES FAST-GROWING ONLINE PETITION TO CLOSE GUANTANAMO
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Col. , former Chief Prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay from 2005 to 2007, launches petition on Change.org calling on President Obama to take concrete steps to close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.
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Over 75,000 sign onto Col. Davis’ petition in less than 24 hours, following President Obama’s vow in a press conference on Tuesday to renew efforts to close Guantanamo Bay.
WASHINGTON, DC – Colonel Morris Davis, who was the Chief Prosecutor for Terrorism Trials at Guantanamo Bay from 2005 to 2007, has launched a rapidly growing petition on Change.org calling on President Obama to fulfill his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center.
As the Chief Prosecutor for Terrorism Trials at Guantanamo Bay. Col. Davis personally prosecuted Osama Bin Laden’s driver Salim Hamdan, David Hicks, and Omar Khadr. Davis stepped down from his post due to disagreement over the use of certain interrogation techniques. Since leaving his post at Guantanamo, Davis has become one of the prison’s most outspoken critics. On Tuesday, he started a Change.org petition calling on Obama to fulfill past promises to close the detention facility and to transfer the 86 detainees cleared for release.
“As the Chief Prosecutor for the Terrorism Trials at Guantanamo Bay, I saw many things that I regret seeing. Since its beginning Guantanamo has been costly, inefficient, and morally wrong,” said Col. Morris Davis, who launched the campaign on Change.org. “Now there are over 100 inmates on hunger strike to protest their current situation. Obama must uphold the promise that he made on Tuesday and close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center before someone dies.”
In less than 24 hours, over 75,000 people have signed onto the petition, and it has been covered in the Guardian, BBC, and The Huffington Post.
The petition is part of a growing grassroots movement around the issue. Witness Against Torture has coordinated people around the country to fast in solidarity with the hunger strike, hundreds of letters have been written to the prisoners, and hundreds of phone calls have been made to the Department of Defense, White House, and US Military’s Southern Command.
As of May 1, over 100 inmates out of 166 total prisoners were on hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay. The hunger strike began with a few men in February in protest of current prison conditions, and it is estimated that 21 are currently being force fed.
“Col. Davis is using Change.org’s tools to successfully connect with thousands of people who support his petition to close Guantanamo Bay,” said Emilia Gutierrez, campaign manager at Change.org. “It’s clear his campaign is resonating with people.”
Live signature totals from Col. Davis’ petition:
Journalists in contacting the US Department of Defense Press Office should try:
United States Department of Defense
For more information on Witness Against Torture, please visit:
For more information on Change.org, please visit:
Change.org is the world's largest petition platform, empowering people everywhere to create the change they want to see. There are more than 35 million users in every country who use our tools to transform their communities – locally, nationally and globally.
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