David's Virgin London Marathon 2015 page
Fundraising for Amnesty International UK
Fundraising for Amnesty International UK
10 years ago I ran the London marathon in an orange jump suit & chains (https://www.justgiving.com/running4justice/) to highlight the plight of people like Shaker Aamer, held in Guantanamo Bay and subject to inhumane treatment. Shaker is the last British resident held in Gitmo, he was cleared for release in 2007 by the UK and US governments.
It is a scandal that he is still there. I aim to put as much pressure on the UK and US governments to press them to stick to their word...and release Shaker Aamer back to his family before April 26th 2015, the date of the London marathon....otherwise I will run the entire marathon in that orange jump suit again.
I have written a letter to my MP asking him to attend the official launch of my marathon run- at the House of Commons on 25th November:
" Thursday 6 November 2014
Dear Sajid,
As you know, on the very day you were elected to Parliament in 2010, I
raised the case of Shaker Aamer who has been cleared for release from
Guantanamo since 2007 by both the UK and US government. This has not
happened, yet detainees have been returned to Yemen and Kuwait since.
Are the US really saying that the Yemen is more secure than the UK?
There is no reason why Shaker has NOT been returned to the UK, other
than the security services own embarrassment at their involvement in
his interrogation at Bagram airbase in 2002 and elsewhere (as shown in
both the Times and Mail on Sunday).
The time has long since passed when he should have been returned to his
family in South London. For a man who has spent most of the last decade
in solitary confinement whilst being brutally forcefed, I am reminded
of the words of the Suffragettes 100 years ago who suffered similar
treatment. The time is for "Deeds not Words". The next Save Shaker
Parliamentary meeting will be in House of Commons, London Committee
Room 9 on Tuesday 25th November, it would be my pleasure to meet you
there, if you can attend, or if not explain what specific actions the
UK government is taking to seek his return this side of the general
election?
Yours sincerely,
Dr David Nicholl
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