Many journalists and "social commentators" have written the same material for years, and would have to admit they were wrong – which, let's face it, has rarely happened.

I was left in Guantanamo Bay for five and a half years, unable to communicate with the outside world. Even now, after being cleared, I am still accused of "admitting to training with al-Qaeda", which is untrue. I was suicidal at the time of the plea, and pleaded what is called an Alford plea, which means that I maintained my innocence, but acknowledged that the Military Commissions system was rigged to secure convictions – even military prosecutors have said this. The only other so-called admissions were obtained after I had been subjected to ten-hour beatings, endured broken bones, and guns pointed at my head, was deprived of sleep, injected with psychotropic substances and left in isolation for months.

That's why evidence obtained under torture is never admissible or relied upon, and outlawed in every civilised country in the world. I can only conclude that those who keep asking me the repetitive questions, and keep retelling the same old misinformation, aren't interested in the truth and think that torture is acceptable.

To just focus on why I was in Afghanistan and ignore the crimes committed against us in Guantanamo, seems to be a diversionary tactic to try to prevent people from asking more pressing questions around my case – like why the Australian government sold out one of its own citizens to protect the Bush administration, and why successive Australian governments have refused to independently investigate what happened to me. What really worries me is that because of the careless and blatantly political way my case was handled, it means that others are more likely to be subjected to the same treatment because those involved got away with it.

My struggle for justice was always about clearing my name and exposing what happened so that it never happens to anyone again. It was never about money or I would have sued them years ago. Asking those responsible for keeping me in Guantanamo to help me with my medical costs is hardly asking much considering that it has now been formally recognised that I didn't do anything. The injuries I continue to suffer occurred as a direct result of the Howard government's refusal to bring me back to Australia, when they had the ability to do so.