CGTN America
The closure of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. But the facility is unlikely to close under President-elect Donald Trump. Meanwhile, for the detainees, life drags on.
CGTN’s Yasmeen Alamiri reports.
Everything on the U.S. naval base halts as military personnel salute the american flag for the official start of the day.
Action quickly resumes. But for the Guantanamo detainees, daybreak brings a familiar monotony.
Two-thirds of the prison population is here in CAMP 6 in these 17×9 cells.
Used as incentives for good behavior, detainees can attend art classes and check out materials from the library.
Though screened by the guard force, some books and movies still offend the detainees and their religious beliefs.
In the afternoon in CAMP 6, detainees break up the day by stepping outside to a small recreation yard and cleaning their cells. Others pick over food in Styrofoam containers.
Hunger strikes are a common form of protest here. And for such cases, the medical staff is well practiced in tube feedings.
Marked with orange clothing, detainees who act out are confined to isolated cells.
There is minimal bedding, an Arabic/English dictionary and a quran. Arrows in each cell are supposed to point to their holy land- mecca. But lawyers for the prisoners said their faith has also been a tool of psychological manipulation.
While reports of abuse and torture are in the past and the joint task force boasts about the current healthcare of the inmates, life inside Guantanamo takes its toll.
Evening, back on base. On this day, a military celebration for the 241st birthday of the U.S. Navy.
For the detainees, a quiet time for prayer. Just another day in detention.
