A Mother’s Plea: The Man Still Held After 20 Years Without Trial

In a quiet corner of Pakistan back in 2007, a 40-year-old Afghan was taken by U. S. forces. No court ever found him guilty of anything, yet Mohammad Rahim now sits in Cuba’s Guantánamo Bay, marking his 20th year behind bars. His mother, Safora Yousufzai, now in her own later years, has written a plea to U. S. leaders—asking for the release of her son before time runs out for both of them. Rahim’s detention has nothing to do with a trial or conviction. Instead, he was accused of being a link in the chain of Al Qaeda years ago, though the U. S. never presented evidence or charged him. Over time, even the U. S. offered Rahim’s freedom in exchanges—once proposing to swap him for another man held in Afghanistan. Talks never moved forward, leaving Rahim in limbo while his family waits.His time in custody wasn’t just long—it was brutal. According to official reports, the CIA used harsh techniques on Rahim during questioning, including sleep loss and restricted diets. One stretch kept him awake for six days straight, a method so damaging that even short sleepless periods can mess with a person’s mind for good. Imagine living without proof, without justice, and with treatment meant to break you—yet never being given any chance to defend yourself. What makes his case stand out now? Just last year, another foreigner, Dennis Coyle, walked free from Afghan prisons after pressure from families and officials. His release shows that governments can choose leniency—but only when they decide it’s worth it. Rahim’s mother wonders why his suffering isn’t given the same weight. At 60, Rahim’s health is not what it used to be, and his mother, herself aging fast, has one last hope: to see him before she passes away. She writes that the world should weigh mercy over cold justice when someone has paid for crimes they were never proven guilty of. After all, isn’t detention without trial the very thing that turns people into symbols rather than humans?