Abdul Rahman Ma Ath Thafir Al Amri
Encyclopedia
Abdul Rahman Ma'ath Thafir al Amri (April 17, 1973 in Ta'if, Saudi Arabia — May 30, 2007) was a citizen of Saudi Arabia
, held in extrajudicial detention
in the United States
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
s, in Cuba
.
Press reports identified Al Amri as a Saudi that the DoD reported had committed suicide on May 30, 2007.
reported that Al Amri had participated in several hunger strikes.
According to AP Al Amri weighed 150 pounds when he was transferred to Guantanamo, and his weight dropped to 90 pounds during the 2005 hunger strike.
They reported that another Guantanamo captive had reported that al Amri had been participating in a hunger strike as recently as March 2007. He had been force-fed with a nasal tube.
asserted that a Saudi captive had committed suicide on May 30, 2007.
Initially the DoD withheld his identity.
Early on May 31, 2007 Saudi authorities identified the dead man as Abdul Rahman Maadha al-Amry.
The Associated Press
reported, at noon May 31, 2007, that Al-Amry has been identified as one of the "high-value detainees", held in Camp 5.
The Miami Herald, citing sources with inside knowledge of the case, reports that the dead man was
Abdul Rahman Ma Ath Thafir Al Amri
.
Their report identified Al Amri as one of the Guantanamo captives who was never allowed to meet with an attorney.
The report quotes Al Amri's Combatant Status Review Tribunal
, where he pointed out that if he had truly been a jihadist dedicated to killing Americans he could have done so when he was receiving military training in Saudi Arabia from American advisors. The article also quoted Al Amri's denial that he had been involved in making a video about the USS Cole bombing
.
Other newspaper reports commented on the timing of the death, pointing out that it was almost a year after the three deaths of June 10, 2006, and that both incidents followed a new commandant being assigned to JTF-GTMO, and both incidents occurred shortly before the convening of a military commission
.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, held in extrajudicial detention
Extrajudicial detention
Arbitrary or extrajudicial detention is the detention of individuals by a state, without ever laying formal charges against them.Although it has a long history of legitimate use in wartime , detention without charge, sometimes in secret, has been one of the hallmarks of totalitarian states...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp is a detainment and interrogation facility of the United States located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. The facility was established in 2002 by the Bush Administration to hold detainees from the war in Afghanistan and later Iraq...
s, in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Press reports identified Al Amri as a Saudi that the DoD reported had committed suicide on May 30, 2007.
Hunger striker
The Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Al Amri had participated in several hunger strikes.
According to AP Al Amri weighed 150 pounds when he was transferred to Guantanamo, and his weight dropped to 90 pounds during the 2005 hunger strike.
They reported that another Guantanamo captive had reported that al Amri had been participating in a hunger strike as recently as March 2007. He had been force-fed with a nasal tube.
Reported to have died May 30, 2007
The US Southern CommandSouthern Command
Southern Command can refer to a number of military commands:*Southern Command *Southern Command *Southern Command *Southern Command *United States Southern Command*Southern Command ...
asserted that a Saudi captive had committed suicide on May 30, 2007.
Initially the DoD withheld his identity.
Early on May 31, 2007 Saudi authorities identified the dead man as Abdul Rahman Maadha al-Amry.
The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported, at noon May 31, 2007, that Al-Amry has been identified as one of the "high-value detainees", held in Camp 5.
The Miami Herald, citing sources with inside knowledge of the case, reports that the dead man was
Abdul Rahman Ma Ath Thafir Al Amri
Abdul Rahman Ma Ath Thafir Al Amri
Abdul Rahman Ma'ath Thafir al Amri was a citizen of Saudi Arabia, held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba....
.
Their report identified Al Amri as one of the Guantanamo captives who was never allowed to meet with an attorney.
The report quotes Al Amri's Combatant Status Review Tribunal
Combatant Status Review Tribunal
The Combatant Status Review Tribunals were a set of tribunals for confirming whether detainees held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp had been correctly designated as "enemy combatants". The CSRTs were established July 7, 2004 by order of U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense...
, where he pointed out that if he had truly been a jihadist dedicated to killing Americans he could have done so when he was receiving military training in Saudi Arabia from American advisors. The article also quoted Al Amri's denial that he had been involved in making a video about the USS Cole bombing
USS Cole bombing
The USS Cole Bombing, or the USS Cole Incident, was a suicide attack against the United States Navy destroyer on October 12, 2000 while it was harbored and refueled in the Yemeni port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured...
.
Other newspaper reports commented on the timing of the death, pointing out that it was almost a year after the three deaths of June 10, 2006, and that both incidents followed a new commandant being assigned to JTF-GTMO, and both incidents occurred shortly before the convening of a military commission
Guantanamo military commission
The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
.
Press reports
Department of Defense documents released in September 2007 revealed that al Amri had warned camp authorities in 2002 that conditions at the camp were driving captives to the brink of suicide.See also
- Guantanamo Bay detention camp suicide attempts
- Guantanamo Bay homicide accusationsGuantanamo Bay homicide accusationsGuantanamo Bay murder accusations occurred after three Guantanamo prisoners, two of whom had already been cleared for release, may have been killed there and the deaths covered up....
External links
- Suicide at Guantánamo: the story of Abdul Rahman al-Amri Andy Worthington April 24, 2008