Ruhel Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, Shafiq Rasul and Monir Ali, from the English midlands town of Tipton, travelled to Pakistan in late 2001 for a wedding and a backpacking holiday. All except Ali were captured in Afghanistan by the Northern Alliance and turned over to the US military, which wrongfully imprisoned and tortured them at Guantanamo Bay for more than two years.
Now known as the "Tipton Three", the young men returned home in March 20, 2004, where they were immediately released without charge. Ahmed was due to travel to Australia last week to help promote the film Road to Guantanamo, which is their story. The Howard government refused Ahmed a visa on "security" grounds. He spoke to Green Left Weekly's Lachlan Malloch last week.
How did you react to the news on October 27 that you were refused a visa?
I wasn't really surprised. But it's pathetic that they should refuse me a visa. The Australian government thinks of me whatever [US] President Bush wants it to think.
Have you been subjected to harassment or surveillance since arriving back in Britain?
Every time I fly back into the country, I get stopped by the anti-terrorism police in the airport and detained for about three hours. At the beginning, it gets to you. Now it doesn't really bother me, although it gets tiring. Tony Blair did say on Sky News that he is "watching" the detainees that have been released, but they're wasting their money. In one way, it's kind of good because at least no-one can kill me!
How did you cope in prison knowing you were innocent of the terrorism accusations?
At first, as I couldn't speak Arabic, it was really difficult. I had to force myself to learn it because I knew I would go crazy with no-one to speak to. It's not like the guards talk to you - they hate you. I learned a whole English-Arabic dictionary almost by heart to keep my sanity. Also, we played "I spy" and word games with the other prisoners to pass the time.
Do you think the film portrayed your struggle well?
You can't put two and a half years into one film, so some things like the sexual abuse and a lot of the torture are missing. But whatever is in the film is 100% accurate.
There was a particularly moving scene when we're at Karachi airport, going back to Pakistan for the filming. When we first went, there were four of us - Shafiq, Asif, Monir and me. But the second time around, Monir was missing. That was the most emotional part, the hardest part.
You lost Monir Ali as you left Kunduz, Afghanistan. What happened to him?
We haven't got any clue to this day what happened to him. So it's really hard. We all lived in the same area, one or two roads apart, and grew up together. So when we go to Monir's house and his mum sees the three of us sitting in their living room, it makes her cry. It's really heartbreaking. We can't even tell her if her son is dead or alive - nothing.
After you'd been through such a hellish experience in Pakistan and Afghanistan, why did you agree to return with film director Michael Winterbottom?
We were quite reluctant, but Michael wanted to re-create what happened as accurately as possible. And we want to get the film out as widely as possible because there are many people from different countries still in Guantanamo Bay.
For instance, with David Hicks, we want to raise awareness in your country, because he should be released. Whatever he's admitted to it's not because he's done it but because they've tortured him. I admitted to being a member of al'Qaeda, when I wasn't, because they were beating the hell out of me.
People need to remember that David Hicks is a father to two children, and he is also a son. Maybe, one day, it could be your father, or your son, who is in prison for no reason. If we don't stand against this wrong, it gives the government leeway to do whatever it pleases.
Given that no one who's been in Guantanamo has ever been found guilty of terrorism, what is the prison for?
Number one, it's to say to the American public "We've got the people that done 9/11". Well, those people are dead - they flew the planes into the buildings! The government wants to show that this kind of atrocity could never happen again. But since Guantanamo opened, there have been more terrorist attacks around the world.
They said Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11, which is ridiculous. The only reason they went to war with Iraq was to get control of the country and its oil.
I've seen how they lie, how they manipulate everything. In the next election, people in your country need to vote against the government. Remember what democracy means: it's not locking a whole group of people in a prison indefinitely, without charges and a trial, and throwing the key away. America has broken every international human rights law, yet people still believe in American justice! Democracy is not the "democracy" of Tony Blair and George Bush.
What can you tell me about the difficulties of coming home after Guantanamo?
At first it was really difficult to sleep: I would wake in the morning, sit in my bed and wait for a guard to open the door and bring my food in. It took me five minutes to remind myself that I was back in my own bedroom and not in a cage.
It was difficult to walk outside as we'd take really little steps because [in prison] every time we'd get out of our cell, we'd be shackled. Now I have severe back problems and bad knee pains, especially in the winter.
The [whole experience] will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm angry, especially against the British government, because it could have got me out sooner, but it didn't.