Guantánamo Bay prisoner Nabil Hadjarab sends an emotional letter to President Sarkozy, pleading to be allowed to live with his family in France.
In a personal message to the President, Nabil Hadjarab, a former French resident currently imprisoned in Guantánamo, begs: “Please Mr President, help me get my dignity back.”
Cleared for release under the Bush Administration, Nabil faces imminent forced repatriation to Algeria after the US courts refused to protect him and other cleared Algerian prisoners – including former British resident Ahmed Belbacha – from being transferred against their will.
Nabil, who spent much of his childhood in France and has close family there, writes:
“My lawyers have informed me that there is not much that can be done now to prevent my immediate repatriation to Algeria….
“Mr President, you may think that all of this is not your problem, and you may be right… but my fate does matter to my family, most of whom are citizens of your country.
“My father and my uncle both worked hard in France all their lives and gave everything they had to your country. They lived in dignity, never unemployed or dependent on the state. They accomplished hard tasks without ever complaining.
“I wish to follow their examples and make my family and France proud of me. I know that, if given the chance, I will be a model citizen and will not disappoint you.”
Since March 2008, no fewer than fourteen approaches have been made to the French government by Reprieve and by the Hadjarab family, but France has never made its official position towards Nabil clear.
In his last letter in June 2009, Nabil’s uncle Ahmed Hadjarab, a French citizen, asked President Sarkozy to welcome his nephew as a tribute to the great sacrifice that Nabil’s father, Said Hadjarab, made for France and for General de Gaulle during the war against Algeria. He wrote: “It seems to me that if the General were still here, he would have welcomed my request. He would probably have thought that after all that Nabil’s father did for France, it was difficult to consider his son as a stranger”.
So far neither the French nor the US authorities have shown any inclination to assist Nabil Hadjarab or his family.
Reprieve’s Legal Director Cori Crider said: “An urgent and sensitive intervention from the President is now Nabil’s best chance for a new life in safety with his family. This is no longer simply a legal matter – it is a question of honour and humanity.”
Polly Rossdale, of Reprieve’s Life After Guantanamo team, said: “Rebuilding one’s life after years of abuse and unlawful detention in Guantanamo is a huge challenge. Through Reprieve’s Life after Guantanamo project we know that one of the things that makes that challenge achievable is having the love and support of family. France is Nabil’s family home; France is where he has the best chance of getting back on his feet and recovering from the pain of many lost years.”
For further information, see www.reprieve.org.uk/nabilhadjarab or contact Katherine O’Shea at Reprieve’s Press Office katherine.oshea@reprieve.org.uk 07931592674/ 020 7427 1099.
The full text of Nabil Hadjarab’s letter to President Sarkozy is as follows:
“Dear President Sarkozy,
My lawyers have informed me that there is not much that can be done now to prevent my immediate repatriation to Algeria, even though it will be against my will.
“Although they have sought help from the American courts, it seems there is little to be found there. So I write this letter to you hoping that you will give my situation some consideration and rescue me from a terrible fate.
“I have spent over eight years in this prison without any charges being brought against me. Despite this, the American courts have done nothing to stop the US administration from sending me wherever they want, without any consideration given to the fate awaiting me there.
“In Algeria, I have no one that I can turn to, who could help me to get back on my feet after so many years of being kicked down. I will be left on my own, without a job or any resources.
“Having spent so long in such an isolating place, I do not want to find myself alone again, in a position where I must beg for charity. The most important thing to me is dignity. My dignity has been taken away from me during the eight years that I have been imprisoned, suffering so many abuses that I do not even wish to discuss. Today I need your help to get it back.
“Mr President, you may think that all of this is not your problem, and you may be right. My fate does not seem to concern the US authorities either. But my fate does matter to my family, most of whom are citizens in your country.
“My father and my uncle both worked hard in France all their lives and gave everything they had to your country. They lived in dignity, never unemployed or dependent on the state. They accomplished hard tasks without ever complaining.
“I wish to follow their examples and make my family and France proud of me. I know that, if given the chance, I will be a model citizen and will not disappoint you. All I need is a little help – after so many years away from the outside world I won’t be able to do it all on my own. My uncle in France has promised to help me, and with a bit of support and time, I know I will be able to rebuild my life.
Yours sincerely,
Nabil Hadjarab”
Notes for Editors:
Reprieve, a legal action charity, uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantánamo Bay. Reprieve investigates, litigates and educates, working on the frontline, to provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves. Reprieve promotes the rule of law around the world, securing each person’s right to a fair trial and saving lives.
Clive Stafford Smith is the founder of Reprieve and has spent 25 years working on behalf of people facing the death penalty in the USA.
Reprieve’s current casework involves representing 33 prisoners in the US prison at Guantánamo Bay, working on behalf of prisoners facing the death penalty, and conducting ongoing investigations into the rendition and the secret detention of ‘ghost prisoners’ in the so-called ‘war on terror.’
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