Guantanamo Bay Timeline Archives
Guantanamo Bay Timeline

6/18/2013: Federal judge urged new approach in handling Guantanamo detainee cases

6/17/2013: US government released names of indefinite Guantanamo detainees

6/17/2013: President Obama appointed Guantanamo closure envoy

6/10/2013: US military prosecutors charged Guantanamo detainee with war crimes

6/6/2013: House panel approved defense spending bill that blocked Guantanamo closure

5/23/2013: Obama addressed US drone strikes, steps to close Guantanamo

5/23/2013: Guantanamo lawyers sought end to allegedly abusive search policy

4/30/2013: President Obama renewed pledge to close Guantanamo

4/28/2013: Former Guantanamo detainee’s lawyer announced appeal of terrorism conviction

4/22/2013: US military confirmed more than half of Guantanamo detainees were on hunger strike

4/8/2013: US announced it would notify Guantanamo prisoners’ lawyers of force-feeding

4/5/2013: UN rights chief called for Guantanamo prison closure

3/26/2013: Guantanamo detainee requested immediate relief amid alleged mistreatment, hunger strike

3/7/2013: Guantanamo defense lawyers claimed detainees faced harsh conditions, hunger strike

2/21/2013: ACLU appealed decision allowing Guantanamo testimony censorship

2/19/2013: Guantanamo judge gave defense lawyers access to secret detention area

2/12/2013: Navy Lawyers claimed Guantanamo bugs did not breach detainee attorney-client privilege

2/4/2013: Military judge refused to halt USS Cole hearing

1/31/2013: Military judge ordered to stop 9/11 hearing censoring

1/28/2013: Guantanamo detainee sought ECHR ruling on Poland role in CIA secret prison

1/28/2013: Defense lawyers sought to preserve prisons as evidence in 9/11 trial

1/9/2013: Federal judge ruled Guantanamo detainee had no right to top secret information

1/3/2013: Obama signed defense spending bill despite Guantanamo restrictions

12/14/2012: Federal judge affirmed denial of habeas petition for Guantanamo detainee

12/12/2012: US military judge upheld request to censor 9/11 conspirators’ testimony

11/29/2012: Government report claimed that Guantanamo detainees could be safely absorbed by US prisons

11/7/2012: ACLU urged Obama to close Guantanamo during second term

11/4/2012: DOJ filed notice of appeal on Guantanamo prisoner access to counsel

10/23/2012: Accused USS Cole bomber boycotted pretrial hearing

10/15/2012: Military judge ruled 9/11 accused do not have to attend hearings

9/29/2012: US transferred Guantanamo detainee Khadr to Canada

9/21/2012: ACLU announced that US government released names of Guantanamo prisoners approved for transfer

9/8/2012: Guantanamo detainee died after being found unconscious in cell

9/6/2012: Federal judge rejected new restrictions on Guantanamo detainees’ access to counsel

9/5/2012: US delivered Khadr documents to Canada authorities

8/29/2012: US charged Guantanamo detainee with supporting terrorism

8/17/2012: Federal judge expressed skepticism about new Guantanamo access to counsel restrictions

8/7/2012: DOJ argued continued attorney access at Guantanamo was government decision

8/2/2012: Military commission announced plans to hear oral arguments on ACLU censorship challenge

8/2/2012: Egypt requested release of its last citizen held at Guantanamo

7/30/2012: Former Saudi Arabia Guantanamo detainee surrendered

7/27/2012: UN official called for transfer of Khadr to Canada

7/24/2012: Australia abandoned appropriation of book profits of former Guantanamo detainee

7/17/2012: Kuwait lawyer sued government officials for release of Guantanamo detainees

7/16/2012: Guantanamo hearing for accused 9/11 conspirators was delayed for Ramadan

7/11/2012: Bin Laden associate was released from Guantanamo prison

6/30/2012: US reported to be considering transfer of Guantanamo detainees to Afghanistan

6/29/2012: US dropped charges against Kuwait Guantanamo detainee

6/29/2012: Kuwait sought release of Guantanamo detainees

6/26/2012: Accused 9/11 conspirator asked the UN to investigate torture allegations

6/21/2012: Khadr lawyers renewed request for transfer to Canada

6/14/2012: Holder announced that Guantanamo detainees will not be transferred to Illinois prison

6/11/2012: Supreme Court declined to hear Guantanamo prisoner cases

6/9/2012: Defense lawyers requested that USS Cole trial be broadcast worldwide

6/2/2012: Federal appeals court ruled against former Guantanamo prosecutor in wrongful termination case

5/23/2012: Federal judge ordered Pentagon to turn over Guantanamo videos

5/5/2012: 9/11 suspects arraigned at military tribunal

5/2/2012: ACLU sought access to 9/11 trial testimony

4/19/2012: Uighur Guantanamo detainees released to El Salvador

4/18/2012: Khadr requested transfer to Canada

4/9/2012: Chief Guantanamo judge sets trial date for 9/11 accused

4/4/2012: DOD referred charges against 9/11 suspects to military commission

3/30/2012: Human rights court agreed to hear Guantanamo detainee case

3/10/2012: Five Guantanamo detainees agreed to Qatar transfer

2/20/2012: Chief Guantanamo judge protected confidentiality of attorney-client mail

2/8/2012: Lawyer for 9/11 suspect challenged government review of legal correspondence

1/17/2012: Guantanamo commander defended policy of reading prisoner mail

1/16/2012: Algeria court sentenced former Guantanamo detainee to prison

1/8/2012: Guantanamo chief defense counsel refused to allow review of attorney letters

12/28/2011: Guantanamo rule change required review of attorney letters in 9/11 cases

4/4/2011: Holder announced 9/11 conspirators to face military trials

1/19/2011: Obama administration announced it may resume military commissions

1/7/2011: Obama signed law barring transfer of Guantanamo detainees to US for trial

12/22/2010: Congress approved defense spending bill preventing US trials for Guantanamo detainees

10/6/2010: Former Guantanamo detainee sued US government

4/28/2010: Pentagon released military commissions manual

4/7/2010: Former Guantanamo detainee sued US government for torture

3/26/2010: US defense secretary appointed top military commissions authority

2/17/2010: Federal judge dismissed Guantanamo detainee wrongful death suit

1/29/2010: DOJ ethics report cleared ‘torture memo’ lawyers

1/22/2010: Two Guantanamo Bay detainees transferred to Algeria

12/9/2009: Guantanamo detainee transferred to Kuwait

12/2/2009: Albania announced willingness to accept more detainees

11/13/2009: Holder announced federal trials for accused 9/11 conspirators

11/5/2009: Senate defeated proposal to prevent 9/11 suspects from being tried in federal court

10/28/2009: Obama signed bill allowing transfer of Guantanamo detainees to US for trial

10/6/2009: Holder said Guantanamo may not close by January deadline

9/21/2009: Military judge granted government 60-day continuance in Guantanamo trial

9/16/2009: Hungary accepted Guantanamo detainee

7/29/2009: Ireland agreed to take 2 Guantanamo detainees

7/23/2009: UN rights investigators denied access to Guantanamo detention facility

7/20/2009: Federal court suppressed Guantanamo detainee ‘torture’ statements

6/29/2009: DOJ released report saying Guantanamo detainees have limited constitutional protections

6/26/2009: Senate committee defense budget included military commission reforms

6/25/2009: UN rights chief protested degraded torture conventions

6/20/2009: Portugal agreed to take up to 3 Guantanamo detainees

6/15/2009: CIA released documents describing Guantanamo detainee torture

5/26/2009: Tunisia prepared to accept 10 Guantanamo detainees

5/21/2009: Obama defended Guantanamo closure plan

5/19/2009: Military judge granted government motion to delay Guantanamo case

4/23/2009: Guantanamo detainee lawsuit claimed torture prior to authorization

4/16/2009: DOJ released secret CIA interrogation memos

4/14/2009: Guantanamo detainee alleged continued abuse in interview

4/6/2009: Austria refused to accept Guantanamo detainees

4/3/2009: France accepted one Guantanamo detainee

3/16/2009: Red Cross deemed CIA interrogation tactics torture

3/13/2009: Obama DOJ dropped ‘enemy combatant’ classification

2/24/2009: Spain agreed to accept Guantanamo detainees

1/22/2009: Obama ordered Guantanamo prison closed within a year

1/21/2009: Guantanamo judge granted Obama suspension of commission

1/20/2009: Obama directed prosecutors to seek Guantanamo military commissions delay

1/5/2009: UN torture investigator called on countries to accept Guantanamo detainees

10/28/2008: Federal judge ruled on meaning of ‘enemy combatant’

10/10/2008: Obama advisers began planning Guantanamo prison closure

6/12/2008: Supreme Court ruled Guantanamo detainees have habeas corpus privilege

6/5/2008: Alleged 9/11 conspirators arraigned before military commission

3/29/2008: Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee described torture allegations

3/13/2008: ACLU sued for Guantanamo full hearing transcripts

2/26/2008: International bar association called for Guantanamo closure

12/11/2007: Guantanamo detainee alleged CIA has torture photos

10/29/2007: UN rights expert urged US to prosecute or release Guantanamo prisoners

3/30/2007: Guantanamo detainee claimed torture prompted confession to USS Cole bombing

3/5/2007: Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee alleged torture, Koran desecration

10/17/2006: President Bush signed Military Commissions Act

10/3/2006: UK balked at US bid to return British Guantanamo detainees

9/6/2006: Bush confirmed existence of secret CIA prisons

6/29/2006: Supreme Court ruled military commissions illegal

6/11/2006: Military officials claimed Guantanamo detainees concealed suicides

6/10/2006: Three Guantanamo detainees died in apparent suicide pact

5/10/2006: UK Attorney General called for closure of Guantanamo Bay

4/21/2006: US announced release of 100 Guantanamo detainees

10/9/2005: Freed Egyptian detainee said Guantanamo torture put him in wheelchair

6/15/2005: Specter opened hearings on detainee rights

6/1/2005: Australian detainee claimed charges violate international law

10/27/2004: Amnesty International chided US over prisoner treatment

1/11/2002: First detainees arrived at Guantanamo Bay