On the international day in support of victims of torture, we received the important news that Poland has finally paid damages to our client, CIA torture victim and Guantanamo detainee Abu Zubaydah. Compensation has been slow - the sums paid were awarded by the European Court of Human Rights in its 2014 judgment. It has been a fraught process, littered with obstacles. Monetary relief is also plainly insufficient, and can only ever be part of the much fuller reparation due to victims such as Abu Zubaydah.
Nonetheless, this compensation by Poland - following a similar payment by Lithuania six months ago - is an important and symbolic step forward. It provides some recognition and reparation for the egregious torture and arbitrary detention of our client, for which many states share responsibility. We hope this step will catalyse fuller reparation, including recognition, apology and reckoning, by Poland and other states such as the US, UK and others, to ensure that lessons are learned. As a priority, states must also assume their responsibility for bringing his ongoing, cruel arbitrary detention at Guantanamo to an end, with suitable relocation, rehabilitation and support.
We are grateful to the many who helped to secure the payment of damages in this case, through multiple rounds of challenge and litigation, including our Polish counsel Bartek Janjowski and colleagues, and many others. Background on the cases are here. For more information contact helen@rightsinpractice.org.