Journey of Death

REPRIEVE REPORT DOCUMENTS OVER 700
PRISONERS ILLEGALLY RENDERED TO
GUANTANAMO BAY WITH THE HELP OF PORTUGAL

UK charity Reprieve have today released a report – the ‘Journey of Death’ –
which conclusively shows that Portuguese territory and airspace has been used
to transfer over 700 prisoners to torture and illegal imprisonment in
Guantanamo Bay.

Reprieve can reveal that 728 of 774 prisoners processed into Guantanamo, were
transported through Portuguese jurisdiction. The report was compiled by
comparing flight logs obtained from Portuguese authorities, information from
the US Department of Defence showing dates of arrival of prisoners at
Guantanamo Bay, and unclassified testimony from many of the prisoners
themselves. In the report Reprieve has detailed for the first time the names of
these prisoners and their stories.

Flight logs obtained from Portuguese authorities in 2006 reveal that on at least
94 occasions aircraft crossed Portuguese airspace en route to or from
Guantanamo Bay between 2002-2006. On at least 6 occasions rendition aircraft
flew directly from Lajes in the Azores to Guantanamo.

A significant number of prisoners transported through Portuguese jurisdiction
had been severely tortured in secret prisons around the world before their arrival
in Guantanamo Bay.1 For instance Reprieve’s client Binyam Mohamed, prior to
his transportation to Guantanamo, had been subjected to 18 months of torture in
a Moroccan black site, which included being repeatedly cut on his penis with
razors and threatened with rape, electrocution and death.

Clive Stafford Smith Reprieve’s Legal Director said:
"The Portuguese government needs to do some serious soul-searching. None of
these prisoners could have reached Guantanamo - and upwards of six years of
abuse - without Portuguese complicity, and there are still several dozen men who
may face the death penalty after being rendered by the US through Portuguese
jurisdiction. Portugal must hold a full, public inquiry and get to the bottom of
these breaches of international law.”

Moazzam Begg, former Guantanamo prisoner and spokesman of Cage Prisoners said:

“The nations of Europe openly, and rightly, disassociate themselves with
Guantanamo Bay. Indeed, even very powerful American voices, like that of
former US Secretary of State, Colin Powell now call for its closure. It is
somewhat sobering therefore, to discover that I, and hundreds of others like me,
were transported in chains, faces masks, ear muffs and hoods over Portuguese
territory before we arrived at the world's most notorious prison.”

ENDS

Reprieve is a British legal action charity providing frontline investigation and legal
representation to prisoners denied justice by powerful governments across the world.

To obtain a copy of the ‘Journey of Death’ contact Chloe Davies at Reprieve
chloe@reprieve.org.uk or visit Reprieve’s website www.reprieve.org.uk.