I would not be surprised if people start accusing Conteris of seeking fame. I saw fear in eyes, agony, and then he went to a place where we take ourselves when we are in tremendous pain. It’s where we sit still waiting for it to be over.
A day after the procedure Conteris tells me that he is ready to do it again. He did not feel any more strength and nutrition from the can ofEnsure that was pumped into his stomach. He stated that there was still some residue from the NG tube being in his throat.
The very visceral reality of this torment makes it impossible to imagine that I would repeat this … and yet, I am tormented even more knowing that U.S. taxpayers are paying for this torture to happen twice daily. The victims are already those who have lived the torture of indefinite detention and long-term solitary confinement, not to mention knowing that 84 of them are cleared to be released and they linger in limbo for years, yet another form of psychological abuse.
And so I ask myself, how could I end the fast knowing now … in my blood and in my bones and in my breath … that they endure this acute and sadistic treatment not just daily … but twice-daily?
I too am extremely concerned for the future of his health, however headlines of the Guantánamo Bay hunger strike have diminished, and I fear the remaining 164 will be forgotten once again. In President Obama’s second promise to close the prison, nearly four months ago, he stated that he would appoint an envoy at the Pentagon to work with a counterpart at the state department on Guantánamo transfers. According to, Todd Breasseale, a Pentagon spokes person, “The department has nothing yet to announce on this issue.”
On September 6th, 2013, the same day as the live force-feed, two Algerians, Nabil Hadjarab and Motai Sayyab were released from judicial interrogation and returned home on probation. This comes in time for the one year anniversary of the death of Adnan Latif, found unresponsive in this cell on September 8th, 2012. As of September 8th, 2013, 22 detainees enter 215 days of hunger strike with 20 being force-fed. If the Obama administration continues releasing two detainees every six months, forty-one years would have passed and so will a majority of the detainees.
Left: Andres Conteris, August 8th, 2013 Right: September 6th, 2013 water-only fast 61 days, 52 lbs lost (25% of body mass)
Not everyone can pay for the news. But if you can, we need your support.
Truthout is widely read among people with lower incomes and among young people who are mired in debt. Our site is read at public libraries, among people without internet access of their own. People print out our articles and send them to family members in prison — we receive letters from behind bars regularly thanking us for our coverage. Our stories are emailed and shared around communities, sparking grassroots mobilization.
We’re committed to keeping all Truthout articles free and available to the public. But in order to do that, we need those who can afford to contribute to our work to do so — especially now, because we have just 4 days left to raise $36,000 in critical funds.
We’ll never require you to give, but we can ask you from the bottom of our hearts: Will you donate what you can, so we can continue providing journalism in the service of justice and truth?