Mohammad Ahmed Abdullah Saleh Al Hanashi
Encyclopedia
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, 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...
.
Al Hanashi's Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 78.
The Department of Defense reports that Al Hanashi was born on February 1, 1978,
in Al Habrub, Yemen.
On June 2, 2009, the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
reported that a 31 year-old Yemeni captive named "Muhammed Ahmad Abdallah Salih" committed suicide late on June 1, 2009.
Camp officials did not allow journalists who were at the camp for Omar Khadr
Omar Khadr
Omar Ahmed Khadr is a Canadian child soldier and one of the juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He was convicted of five charges under the United States Military Commissions Act of 2009 including murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support for terrorism,...
's Guantanamo 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 :...
to report news of his death until they left Guantanamo.
June 2009 death
He is reported to have been held in Camp 5, and to have been held in the Guantanamo psychiatric ward
Guantanamo psychiatric ward
In addition to the regular camps for detainees held in extrajudicial detention there is a Guantanamo psychiatric ward at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp complex in Cuba....
.
Like all the other men camp authorities claimed were suicides he was on a long term hunger strike, and, consequently, where he was being strapped twice a day into a restraint chair, for force-feeding.
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...
reports that his weight had, at one time, dropped to just 86 pounds.
David Remes said that he believed Ahmed had gone without legal representation until a few weeks ago, but that his lawyers hadn't yet had a chance to visit him.
On June 3, 2009 Guantanamo spokesman Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Brook DeWalt asserted that Mohammed Ahmad was no longer hunger striking at the time of his death, that he had abandoned his hunger strike in "mid-May".
According to David McFadden
David McFadden
David William McFadden is a Canadian poet, fiction writer, and travel writer. He was born in Hamilton, Ontario and first started working there as a proofreader for the Hamilton Spectator newspaper. As he grew more renowned as a poet he quit the newspaper and became a full-time writer in 1976...
, reporting for 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...
wrote:
DeWalt declined to confirm or refute whether Mohammad Ahmed had been in Guantanamo's Psychiatric unit, and said he didn't know whether he had made previous suicide attempts.
Khalid al-Kathiri, a Yemeni diplomat, traveled to Guantanamo to oversee how the remains were treated.
The Miami Herald reported that the Miami Coroner's office had also dispatched an observer.
On June 5, 2009 Saleh's body was returned to Yemen.
According to the Associated Press Jose Ruiz
José Ruiz
José "Cheíto" Ruíz Matos was a Puerto Rican boxer. Born and raised in the municipality of Trujillo Alto, he was signed as a professional when he was 17 years old. Ruíz made his debut July 13, 1984, competing in the super flyweight division...
, a Guantanamo spokesmen, said that the Navy will not make the results of his autopsy public until the Navy Criminal Investigative Service completes its investigation.
On June 11, 2009 Andrew O. Selsky, of 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...
, published an article based on interviews with former captives who knew Saleh.
Recently released Binyam Mohammed asserted that suicide was totally out of character for Saleh: "He was patient and encouraged others to be the same. He never viewed suicide as a means to end his despair."
Mohammed said that Saleh had been chosen as a prisoner's representative.
Mohammed said that Saleh had been escorted from Camp five on January 17, 2009 for a meeting with Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
David Thomas
David M. Thomas (US Navy)
David M. Thomas is an officer in the United States Navy.-Early life:Thomas's father was a career Navy officer.Thomas, and three of his brothers, are graduates of the United States Naval Academy. All are active duty, including one in the Marine Corps. Another brother served in the Peace Corps...
, commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo
Joint Task Force Guantanamo is a U.S. military joint task force based at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba on the southeastern end of the island. JTF-GTMO falls under US Southern Command...
, and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Bruce Vargo
Bruce Vargo
Colonel Bruce Vargo is a Military Police officer in the United States Army.He was appointed the commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo's Joint Detention Group -- its guard force....
, Commander of the camp's guard force. Mohammed said that Saleh never returned to Camp five, and instead was confined to the camp's Psychiatric wing.
Selsky reported that Elizabeth Gilson the attorney for one of the other captives confined to the psychiatric wing, was aware of details of Saleh's death, which she could not disclose because they were classified.
On August 1, 2009 Mike Melia, of 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 that, Mohammed Albasha, a Yemeni official said that US authorities had informed the Yemen government that Al Hanashi died of "asphyxiation".
The Associated Press quoted
fellow captives Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail
Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail
Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail is a Yemeni held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba. Joint Task Force Guantanamo analysts estimate he was born in 1979, in Ibb, Yemen....
and Adnan Latif, who said Al Hanashi weight had dropped to under 45 kilograms prior to his death, and that he could only get around on crutches.
External links
- Murder at Guantanamo? The Strange Death of Mohammad Saleh al Hanashi Truthout November 20, 2009