In 2001 German resident Murat Zurnaz was arrested in Pakistan and soon after shipped off to be held in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. No evidence was presented against him for apparent ‘terrorist related activites’ yet he remained imprisoned for years without a trial.

The good news is that after 5 years and much lobbying by Amnesty International, his family and several lawyers he has finally been released and is back home in Germany. Not only that but during the trial a US federal judge cited his case as “illustrative of the inherant unfairness and fundamental flaws of the adminitrative review process the military authorities conduct in Guantánamo”. This case brings the unjust activity occuring in Guantanamo to light and will likely have an effect on future cases as a result.

Since Amnesty has become involved in cases in Guantanamo 16 prisoners have been released from US detention. Of those detainees transferred to their home countries, 1 remain in detention and 13 have been released indefinatly.