Written by: Alex Green

Breaking an almost two year silence, PJ Harvey has unveiled a brand new song.

Harvey hasn’t released any new material since Let England Shake (2011), but the British singer/songwriter has just posted a link on Soundcloud to her new song “Shaker Aamer.”

A protest song named after the British national who has been locked up in Guantanamo Bay since 2002, “Shaker Aamer” is a moving and deeply stirring number dedicated to a man who has been imprisoned for nearly twelve years without being charged for a crime. Curiously, Aamer was cleared to be released by both George W. Bush in 2007 and current President Obama in 2009, but he’s still not a free man.

The 44-year old Aamer has never had a trial and some have speculated that he remains incarcerated because he’s a vocal advocate for the rights of the other prisoners.

Of the song, Aamer’s lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, told the Guardian in the UK, “We hope people listen to this song and think about Shaker Aamer’s plight: detained for 11 years, without charge or trial – despite having been cleared for release by both Bush and Obama.”

He added: “The UK government must do everything it can to bring Shaker back home to his wife and kids in London, where he belongs. PJ Harvey has written a wonderful song – I know Shaker will be deeply moved by it, and I only hope that, with the support of the public, he will one day be able to listen to it in freedom.”