Online Conference
12th to 13th November 2021

11th January 2022 will mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantánamo Bay.

779 men (and boys) have been held at the prison by the U.S. military since it opened, and 39 are still held, mostly without charge or trial. Those who have been charged face trials in the much-criticized military commission trial system.

The conference asks: How did the prison at Guantánamo Bay come to exist, and why is it still open? Why aren't those responsible for violating prisoners' fundamental human rights being held accountable for their actions? What part did the UK government play in enabling US rendition programmes to the CIA's notorious "black sites", where prisoners were tortured?

The conference brings together academics, researchers, activists, practitioners and students. By scheduling the conference to take place over two days the organisers aim to create an international forum for all those active in discussing Guantánamo's origins and its history over the last 20 years, demanding accountability for the human rights abuses inflicted there, and proposing legal and political paths towards its final closure.