25 Years Since 9/11: Torture, Guantánamo, and the Search for Justice

Twenty-five years after the September 11 terror attacks, no legal justice has been delivered for the 2,977 people killed, nor for the five Guantánamo Bay detainees accused by the United States government of responsibility for this crime. The military commissions case, which initially commenced in 2008 and restarted in 2012, remains stalled in the pre-trial phase. Rather than delivering closure or answers, the proceedings have brought to light facts about past Central Intelligence Agency torture inflicted upon the defendants, challenging hopes for legal justice.

The ongoing stagnation of the military commissions system and the broader legacy of the post-September 11 security apparatus are the focus of a public panel discussion scheduled at Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC. Co-sponsored by the Middle East Research and Information Project, the live event features John Ryan and sociology professor Lisa Hajjar, both of whom have covered the Guantánamo military commissions for over a decade. Doors for the free public program open at 4:30 pm at the 14th and V location, with the discussion beginning at 5:00 pm and an audience question-and-answer session to follow.

A Decade of Tribunal Reporting and Legal Sociology

The featured speakers bring extensive documentation and academic research regarding the legal framework of the war on terror. John Ryan, a co-founder of Lawdragon Inc. and a legal affairs journalist, has served since 2015 as one of only two reporters in the world dedicated to regularly covering the military tribunals from Guantánamo Bay. His tribunal reporting has earned three New York Press Club Awards. Lisa Hajjar, a professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, specializes in the relationship between law and conflict. Her published work includes Courting Conflict and Torture: A Sociology of Violence and Human Rights, alongside her long-standing editorial role with the Middle East Research and Information Project.

The discussion centers on themes explored in their respective recent books, including Ryan’s America’s Trial: Torture and the 9/11 Case on Guantánamo Bay and Hajjar’s The War in Court: Inside the Long Fight against Torture. Copies of both publications will be available for purchase at the venue before and during the program. Attendees are requested to RSVP through Busboys and Poets Books to receive direct updates regarding the event.