Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail
Encyclopedia
Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail is a Yemen
i held in extrajudicial detention
in the United States
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp
s, in Cuba
. Joint Task Force Guantanamo
analysts estimate he was born in 1979, in Ibb, Yemen.
As of August 18, 2011, Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail has been held at Guantanamo for nine years three months.
Both camp authorities and Ismail agree that during his exercise period Ismail requested he be moved from his exercise pen, into a nearby empty exercise pen that was exposed to the Sun. He was told, "You are not allowed to see the Sun." According to David Remes, one of Ismail's lawyers, Ismail and his guards engaged in an angry dispute, and a frustrated Ismail, who had seen the Sun in a month, took off one of his sandals, and threw it at the pen's fence near his guards.
According to Remes Ismail was left in the exercise pen for hours, until night fell, and he fell asleep.
He was woken to find himself being beaten by the camp's "immediate reaction force". Remes said that Ismail told him the immediate reaction force not only shackled him, and beat him, but that they choked him, and then one of the guards urinated on his head. He told Remes that after he was returned to his cell, when he woke the next morning he was bleeding from his ear.
Camp Commandant David M. Thomas
claimed Ismail's version was a "complete and total fabrication".
According to camp authorities Ismail had not only thrown his sandal, but he had thrown a book, and he had spit on the guards. Camp authorities characterized the alleged spitting as an "assault".
Camp authorities claimed that the immediate reaction force's extraction was
"passive in nature and used the minimum amount of force necessary."
They further claimed that the incident had been videotaped, and that Ismail was given a medical examination afterwards, which found no wounds.
However, the Christian Science Monitor noted that camp authorities had refused to release the videotape, or any of Ismail's medical records, including the report from the medical examination camp authorities had asserted showed he had not been wounded.
, writing for the Miami Herald, reported that Yasin Qasem Ismail participated in a protracted sit-in
.
Captives' attorney, like Yasin's attorney David Remes, were aware of the sit-in, but were not allowed to tell reporters without violating their classification agreement. Rosenberg said the sit-in involved approximately half the captives held in Camp 5. The captives refused to leave their exercise yard, and in contrast to previous confrontations with the camp authorities, they decided to wait out the protesters, rather than resort to violence.
The sit-in was triggered by increased security measures following the June 1, 2009 apparent suicide
of Muhammed Ahmad Abdallah Salih.
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....
i 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...
. 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...
analysts estimate he was born in 1979, in Ibb, Yemen.
As of August 18, 2011, Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail has been held at Guantanamo for nine years three months.
Allegations of being abuse by Guantanamo guards
On February 23, 2009, the Christian Science Monitor reported on an incident that occurred on January 7, 2009, where camp authorities version conflicted with that of Ismail.Both camp authorities and Ismail agree that during his exercise period Ismail requested he be moved from his exercise pen, into a nearby empty exercise pen that was exposed to the Sun. He was told, "You are not allowed to see the Sun." According to David Remes, one of Ismail's lawyers, Ismail and his guards engaged in an angry dispute, and a frustrated Ismail, who had seen the Sun in a month, took off one of his sandals, and threw it at the pen's fence near his guards.
According to Remes Ismail was left in the exercise pen for hours, until night fell, and he fell asleep.
He was woken to find himself being beaten by the camp's "immediate reaction force". Remes said that Ismail told him the immediate reaction force not only shackled him, and beat him, but that they choked him, and then one of the guards urinated on his head. He told Remes that after he was returned to his cell, when he woke the next morning he was bleeding from his ear.
Camp Commandant David M. 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...
claimed Ismail's version was a "complete and total fabrication".
According to camp authorities Ismail had not only thrown his sandal, but he had thrown a book, and he had spit on the guards. Camp authorities characterized the alleged spitting as an "assault".
Camp authorities claimed that the immediate reaction force's extraction was
"passive in nature and used the minimum amount of force necessary."
They further claimed that the incident had been videotaped, and that Ismail was given a medical examination afterwards, which found no wounds.
However, the Christian Science Monitor noted that camp authorities had refused to release the videotape, or any of Ismail's medical records, including the report from the medical examination camp authorities had asserted showed he had not been wounded.
June 2009 sit-in
Carol RosenbergCarol Rosenberg
Carol Rosenberg is a senior journalist, currently with the McClatchy News Service.Rosenberg works at the Miami Herald, which has provided extensive coverage of the operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.-Biography:...
, writing for the Miami Herald, reported that Yasin Qasem Ismail participated in a protracted sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
.
Captives' attorney, like Yasin's attorney David Remes, were aware of the sit-in, but were not allowed to tell reporters without violating their classification agreement. Rosenberg said the sit-in involved approximately half the captives held in Camp 5. The captives refused to leave their exercise yard, and in contrast to previous confrontations with the camp authorities, they decided to wait out the protesters, rather than resort to violence.
The sit-in was triggered by increased security measures following the June 1, 2009 apparent suicide
Guantanamo suicide attempts
On June 10, 2006 three prisoners held by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camps allegedly committed suicide. The United States Department of Defense stopped reporting Guantanamo suicide attempts in 2002....
of Muhammed Ahmad Abdallah Salih.
External links
- Who Are the Remaining Prisoners in Guantánamo? Part Two: Captured in Afghanistan (2001) Andy Worthington, September 17, 2010
- An Insignificant Yemeni at Guantanamo Loses His Habeas Petition
- Human Rights First; Habeas Works: Federal Courts’ Proven Capacity to Handle Guantánamo Cases (2010)