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UK compensates Guantanamo prisoner after torture claims
The British government has reached a financial settlement with Abu Zubaydah, a man held without trial at Guantanamo Bay for nearly two decades after being subjected to CIA torture. The payout, described as "substantial," follows allegations that UK intelligence agencies were complicit in his mistreatment.
Background: A case of alleged complicity
Zubaydah, a Palestinian born in Saudi Arabia, was captured by US forces in Pakistan in 2002. He became the first detainee in the CIA's secret "black site" network, where he was held for four years across facilities in six countries, including Lithuania and Poland. US officials initially claimed he was a senior al-Qaeda operative, but later retracted the allegation.
MI5 and MI6 provided questions to the CIA for use during his interrogations, despite knowing he was being subjected to what UK standards would classify as torture. Internal documents revealed British intelligence believed his treatment would have "broken" 98% of US special forces soldiers.
Torture methods and UK involvement
A 2014 US Senate report detailed Zubaydah's treatment, which included waterboarding 83 times, confinement in coffin-shaped boxes, and physical assaults. The report, along with a 2018 UK parliamentary inquiry, criticized British agencies for their role in facilitating his interrogation.
Prof Helen Duffy, Zubaydah's international legal counsel, stated that UK intelligence services "created a market" for his torture by supplying specific questions. She emphasized that the violations of his rights are "not historic, they are ongoing."
"The compensation is important, it's significant, but it's insufficient. These violations of his rights are not historic, they are ongoing."
Prof Helen Duffy, Zubaydah's legal counsel
Settlement details and calls for release
The exact sum paid to Zubaydah remains confidential for legal reasons, but Duffy confirmed it was a "substantial amount of money" and that payments were underway. However, Zubaydah currently has no access to the funds.
Dominic Grieve, who chaired a parliamentary inquiry into the case, described the settlement as "very unusual" but acknowledged that what happened to Zubaydah was "plainly wrong." He criticized the UK's failure to challenge US practices sooner, stating that British officials had evidence of "real concern" about American conduct but did not act decisively.
Zubaydah's current status
Now 53, Zubaydah has been held at Guantanamo Bay since 2006 without charge or conviction. He is one of 15 remaining "forever prisoners" at the facility, despite multiple judgments and reports documenting his mistreatment.
Duffy expressed hope that the compensation would help Zubaydah rebuild his life if released, but stressed that his freedom depends on the US and its allies. "He is keen to secure his freedom and build a new life," she said, but cautioned that his future remains uncertain.
Government response and broader implications
The UK Foreign Office, which oversees MI6, declined to comment on the settlement, citing intelligence matters. When asked whether a similar case had been brought by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, another Guantanamo detainee, neither the government nor Mohammed's lawyers provided a response.
Grieve warned that the UK's delayed intervention set a troubling precedent, arguing that Britain should have either raised concerns with the US or suspended intelligence cooperation.
