The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty

‘In the US, almost everyone accused of terrorism, whatever their guilt, accepts a plea deal rather than fight in courts that are stacked against defendants. Uzair Paracha insisted on his innocence. After twenty years in prison, he was finally vindicated. This is his remarkable story’

– Arun Kundnani, author of What is Antiracism? And Why it Means Anticapitalism

‘An incredibly important, moving account of a fight for justice and a young man’s life — brutalised by the mechanics of the so-called ‘war on terror’ and carceral systems, and rebuilt by the strength of his convictions’

– Saba Imtiaz, author and researcher

‘A powerful, unforgettable account of courage under impossible pressure, revealing the lawlessness and cruelty of the post-9⁄11 world. I knew Uzair Paracha before I ever met him, through his father, Saifullah Paracha, who lived beside me in Guantánamo, a father and teacher to all of us. The United States crushed him to break his son. A family paid the price for truth. This is essential, first-hand testimony, exposing hostage taking, coerced confessions, and psychological warfare dressed as law’

– Mansoor Adayfi, former Guantánamo detainee, author of Don’t Forget Us Here

Uzair S. Paracha is a Pakistani national who was arrested in New York on terrorism charges and wrongly imprisoned in the US for 17 years. He used his time in prison to teach and help fellow prisoners with self-education, reading and reflection, and other life skills, preparing them for a life outside of prison. He is now back home in Pakistan, attempting to mend the fragments of a life once undone.

Denny LeBoeuf is a retired capital defence attorney based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was the Director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s John Adams Project, assisting the capitally charged detainees on Guantanamo in the military commissions, and was formerly the Director of the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project, and the Director of the Louisiana Capital Post-Conviction Project of Louisiana.

Asim Qureshi is Research Director at CAGE, an independent advocacy group working to empower communities impacted by the War On Terror. He specialises in investigating the impact of counterterrorism practices worldwide, and advises legal teams involved in defending terrorism trials in the US and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is the author of When Only God Can See.