In a short documentary recently released by Al Jazeera’s Witness programme, titled ‘Echoes of Bagram,’ the audience is taken on a profound journey alongside Moazzam Begg, a former detainee of Guantanamo and Bagram prisons. This powerful narrative unfolds as Begg returns to Afghanistan, marking his first visit since his release from Guantanamo Bay in 2005.
Moazzam Begg is a British-Pakistani whose life became entangled with the tumultuous landscape of extrajudicial detention by the US government. His harrowing odyssey began in February 2002 when he was seized by Pakistani intelligence at his home in Pakistan. Subsequently, he found himself ensnared in Bagram and the notorious Guantanamo Bay detainment camp in Cuba for an agonizing period of nearly three years.
Accused by US authorities of being an enemy combatant and purportedly affiliated with AQ (Al-Qaeda), Begg faced grave allegations, including recruiting for and financing AQ training camps. The charges also alleged that he had undergone training in these camps to combat US or allied forces. Begg, however, vehemently denied any involvement in terrorism, acknowledging only his presence at non-AQ camps in Afghanistan during the early 1990s and providing financial support to fighters in Bosnia and Chechnya.
Begg’s account of his detention unveils a disturbing narrative of abuse at the hands of guards in Bagram, where he witnessed the tragic demise of two fellow detainees due to brutal beatings. Initially met with denial by US military spokesmen, a subsequent 2005 investigation confirmed that both deaths were indeed the result of abuse inflicted by American guards.
Amidst a fervent public outcry in the UK over the detention of British nationals, the UK government intervened on behalf of its citizens detained in Guantanamo Bay in 2004. Despite objections from Pentagon, CIA, and FBI, President George W. Bush released Begg without charge in January 2005. Post-release, Begg, along with other British detainees, pursued legal action against the British government for complicity in their alleged abuse and torture during their US custody, leading to a financial settlement in 2010.
Embracing his newfound freedom, Begg emerged as a prominent media commentator, sharing insights on issues related to US, UK, and international anti-terror measures. He embarked on speaking tours, shedding light on the conditions in Guantanamo and other detention facilities. Begg’s experiences and perspectives found expression in his co-authored book and numerous articles in newspapers and magazines. Notably, he featured in the documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side” (2007), which exposed the death of an Afghan detainee in custody and the maltreatment of prisoners held by Americans in Afghanistan and beyond.
The 25-minute documentary sheds light on Begg’s mission to meet the family of Muhammad Rahim, the last Afghan prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay, as part of CAGE International’s ongoing efforts to secure his release. Begg’s firsthand account offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the human toll exacted by the US-led War on Terror and the prolonged occupation of Afghanistan.
Moazzam Begg, now the Senior Director at CAGE International, describes his return to Afghanistan as a “complex blend of dream and nightmare”. His haunting experiences at the notorious Bagram detention centre and Guantanamo Bay, where he was detained without charge and released to the UK in 2005 with strict travel limitations, have fueled his tireless advocacy for the rights of those imprisoned during the so-called US-led war on terror.
