Shaker Aamer’s sons with the giant inflatable figure of Shaker Aamer outside Parliament before the debate in the main chamber on their father’s case on 17 March 2015, organised by the indefatigable John McDonnell MP and supported by the 40+ MPs in the Shaker Aamer Parliamentary Group, many of whom attended the debate and spoke on Shaker’s behalf. See ITV’s report, featuring Shaker’s sons, here. With them is Imam Suliman Gani, a friend of the family who has long campaigned for Shaker’s release. At a rally in a committee room before the debate, Andy Worthington, the co-director of We Stand With Shaker, told supporters that the message to David Cameron must be, “No more excuses. Bring Shaker Aamer home from Guantánamo.”

As John McDonnell noted on Twitter, “Shaker Aamer debate in Parliament resolves unanimously to call upon US government to release him and allow him to return to his family in UK.” For the government, junior Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood stated, “I hope I have made it clear that the UK Government are absolutely committed to securing the release of Mr Aamer. Today I would like to underline that commitment and join the House in calling for the US Government to approve the release of Shaker Aamer to the UK.”