The September 11 terror attacks occurred 25 years ago. Yet there has been no justice for the 2,977 people killed on that day, or for the five Guantánamo detainees the US government accuses of responsibility for this crime. The 9/11 case in the military commissions system, which started in 2008 and restarted in 2012, has not moved past the pre-trial phase. Rather than closure and answers, the case has exposed facts about the CIA’s past torture of the defendants that challenge any hopes for legal justice.

MERIP is thrilled to be co-sponsoring this live event with Busboys and Poets featuring John Ryan, author of America’s Trial: Torture and the 9/11 Case on Guantánamo Bay, and Lisa Hajjar, author of The War in Court: Inside the Long Fight against Torture, who have covered the military commissions for over a decade. They will discuss the 9/11 case and its broader implications for the war on terror and Guantánamo’s future.

This event is free and open to all, and will take place at Busboys and Poets' 14th and V location in Washington, DC. Doors open to guests at 4:30pm. The program begins at 5:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of America’s Trial: Torture and the 9/11 Case on Guantánamo Bay and The War in Court: Inside the Long Fight against Torture will be available for purchase before and during the event. Please note that this event is in person. We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books.

John Ryan is a co-founder of Lawdragon Inc. and has won numerous accolades as a legal affairs journalist over the past twenty-five years. Since 2015, John has been one of just two reporters in the world to report regularly on the military tribunals from Guantanamo Bay, earning three New York Press Club Awards for his work.

Lisa Hajjar is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, whose work focuses on the relationship between law and conflict. She is the author of Courting Conflict and Torture: A Sociology of Violence and Human Rights, and a longtime editor and contributor to MERIP.