UK pays Guantanamo detainee Abu Zubaydah 'substantial' sum over torture complicity Submitted by Areeb Ullah on Mon, 01/12/2026 - 14:47 Still held in Guantanamo Bay, the settlement ends years of litigation accusing the UK government of aiding in Abu Zubaydah's torture and rendition Abu Zubaydah has been held in Guantanamo Bay for more than two decades without charge (AFP) Off The British government has agreed to pay a “substantial” amount to tortured Guantanamo Bay detainee Abu Zubaydah, who has been held in US prison for more than two decades without charge, to resolve a civil lawsuit over the UK’s alleged role in his torture and rendition. The settlement brings to an end years of litigation in which Zubaydah accused British security and intelligence agencies of complicity in his abuse by the CIA at secret “black site” prisons between 2002 and 2006. The precise amount and terms of the payment have not been disclosed, but lawyers representing Zubaydah said the agreement marked an implicit acknowledgement of the UK's role in enabling his torture. “It is important, symbolically and practically, that the UK pays for its role in our client’s torture,” said Helen Duffy, international counsel to Zubaydah and director of Human Rights in Practice. “While no amount of money can undo the harm suffered, it provides a measure of redress and recognition of his intolerable suffering at the hands of the CIA, enabled by the UK.” Zubaydah, a stateless Palestinian who grew up in Saudi Arabia , was the first detainee transferred into the CIA’s post-9/11 secret detention programme. He was subjected to some of the most extreme forms of abuse documented during the period, including prolonged sleep deprivation, confinement in coffin-sized boxes, beatings, stress positions and repeated waterboarding. According to the US Senate’s 2014 torture report , Zubaydah was waterboarded at least 83 times in a single month. The report also made clear that he was never a senior al-Qaeda leader, despite early US claims that he was the group’s “number three”. UK involvement in his case came into sharper focus following a 2018 parliamentary report, which found that British intelligence agencies had sent questions to the CIA to be put to Zubaydah while knowing he was being tortured. The report concluded that the UK failed to seek assurances about his treatment and did not take meaningful steps to prevent his abuse. Zubaydah’s legal team argued that this amounted to active encouragement and assistance in torture, in violation of both domestic and international law. The case reached the UK Supreme Court in 2023, which issued a preliminary ruling. The proceedings were expected to continue to a full judgement before the settlement was agreed. 9/11 attacks 20 years on: How the 'war on terror' turned full circle Read More » While welcoming the outcome, Duffy said the agreement fell far short of justice. “The payment is significant, but clearly insufficient to meet the UK’s obligations,” she said. “Critically, the UK should seek to facilitate the immediate release of Abu Zubaydah and other prisoners held without charge or trial at Guantanamo, publicly recognise and apologise for its role, and ensure lessons have been learned.” These findings come as a direct warning to the British state and potential lessons on the legal and moral risks posed by cooperating with the US when it is violating international law. Four years ago, Lithuania, which hosted CIA black sites, was ordered by the European Court of Human Rights to pay Abu Zubaydah more than $100,000 in damages for its role in rendering the Palestinian detainee. 'Forever prisoners' Zubaydah remains detained at Guantanamo Bay, nearly 24 years after his initial capture. He has never been charged with a crime, and his habeas corpus petition in US courts has remained unresolved for almost two decades. The US government classifies him as one of three “forever prisoners” whom it claims it can hold indefinitely without trial on security grounds linked to a global war on terror. Friday’s announcement coincided with the 24th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay prison, which human rights groups say was deliberately designed to operate outside the normal bounds of law. International bodies have repeatedly condemned Zubaydah’s treatment and continued detention. In 2023, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that seven states, including the US and UK, bore responsibility for his torture and unlawful imprisonment, concluding that Britain had “aided and assisted” the United States. 'While no amount of money can undo the harm suffered, it provides a measure of redress and recognition of his intolerable suffering at the hands of the CIA, enabled by the UK' - Helen Duffy, international counsel The working group called on Washington to immediately release Zubaydah and urged the UK and other states to help bring an end to the violations, investigate abuses and provide reparations. Earlier rulings by the European Court of Human Rights found Poland and Lithuania responsible for hosting CIA black sites where Zubaydah was held, describing his treatment as “anathema to the rule of law” and his continued detention at Guantanamo as a “flagrant denial of justice”. Despite these findings, no senior officials in the US or allied countries have been held accountable for abuses committed under the CIA’s torture programme, with many cases dismissed on grounds of state secrecy. Legal experts say the UK settlement underscores both the persistence of victims seeking justice and the ongoing failure of governments to fully reckon with the legacy of the war on terror. “This case is deeply relevant today,” Duffy said, “as some states continue to ride roughshod over international law and the world looks to others to respond. This settlement is a step in the right direction, but it is flimsy justice while his rights continue to be violated at Guantanamo and responsible states look the other way.” Guantanamo News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0