CAGE

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CAGE (formerly Cageprisoners) is a human rights organization based in London, emphasizing the rights of Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Its director is Moazzam Begg, himself a former Gitmo detainee, and it has ties to suspicious Islamist nuts. Remember, kids: just because someone claims to have had his human rights violated doesn't mean he's a nice person. Suspected terrorists, prisoners, those with unpopular opinions or unusual lifestyles, and others on the fringes of society have human rights too.[1][2]

CAGE has ties to Amnesty International. Gita Sahgal, head of Amnesty's gender unit, criticized the organisation for teaming up with Begg: "To be appearing on platforms with Britain's most famous supporter of the Taliban, whom we treat as a human rights defender, is a gross error of judgment", she said. Amnesty International, appalled at the notion that support for the Taliban is in any way unacceptable for human rights advocates, promptly suspended her.[3]

One of the more peculiar pages on the CAGE website is an article dated 15 May 2021 entitled "Breaking News: Barack Obama Dead". The article is a fictional account of "American War Criminal Barack Obama" being killed in circumstances similar to Osama bin Laden, complete with a photoshopped picture of Obama's bloody body based on the fake photo of Osama that circulated after his death; it concludes that "All events are purely fictional – but you knew that already, didn’t you?"[4]

Begg and CAGE have campaigned for the release of Shaker Aamer, Guantanamo's one remaining British detainee.[5][6] A U.S. Department of Defense memorandum released by Wikileaks reveals that Begg spoke out against Aamer while detained, identifying him as an al-Qaeda recruiter who fought under Abu Zubayr al-Haili, a senior figure in the terrorist organisation.[6]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Countering Terrorism, Liberty
  2. Why do human rights apply to convicted criminals?, James Welch, The Guardian, 14 Sep 2009
  3. Amnesty chief suspended after attacking group's links to 'Britain's most famous Taliban supporter' (12:51 EDT, 9 February 2010) The Daily Mail.
  4. Breaking News: Barack Obama Is Dead by Fahad Ansari (Monday, 09 May 2011) Cageprisoners (archived from May 12, 2011).
  5. A decade of injustice — UK (14 September 2012) Cageprisoners.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Guantanamo and Its Critics: Some regard the camp as so immoral that detainees must not only be innocent, but uniquely good. by Robin Simcox (Jan. 18, 2012 6:55 p.m. ET) The Wall Street Journal.