Prisoner’s release from Guantanamo still a mystery
By geoffrey bew
Published: 24 Ocotber 2006
LAWYERS for freed Bahraini Guantanamo Bay detainee Salah Abdulrasool Al Blooshi are never likely to know why he was released, it has emerged.
Legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan told the GDN no explanation had been given for the 24-year-old’s release last week.
Mr Al Blooshi, held for nearly five years without charge or trial, was kept in Camp 4 at the Cuba base, reportedly for prisoners who were “not considered a threat”.
“We have often said Salah would probably be the first person (of the Bahrainis) to come home from Guantanamo,” said Mr Colangelo-Bryan, based in New York.
Prisoner’s release from Guantanamo still a mystery
By geoffrey bew
Published: 24 Ocotber 2006
LAWYERS for freed Bahraini Guantanamo Bay detainee Salah Abdulrasool Al Blooshi are never likely to know why he was released, it has emerged.
Legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan told the GDN no explanation had been given for the 24-year-old’s release last week.
Mr Al Blooshi, held for nearly five years without charge or trial, was kept in Camp 4 at the Cuba base, reportedly for prisoners who were “not considered a threat”.
“We have often said Salah would probably be the first person (of the Bahrainis) to come home from Guantanamo,” said Mr Colangelo-Bryan, based in New York.
“It was an affront that he was held there and we are pleased he has been released.
“But we were not provided with an explanation.
“We never heard of any good reason why he was being held and there was no explanation offered as to why he was released.”
The lawyer has not spoken to Mr Al Blooshi since he was freed, only his family, who he says are overjoyed to have him back.
He plans to talk with his client once he has had a chance to reacquaint himself with life as a free man.
The two remaining Bahrainis being held at Guantanamo Bay are father of five Isa Abdulla Al Murbati, 41 and Juma Mohammed Al Dossary, 32.
Mr Al Dossary is currently being held in isolation at the prison camp’s mental health unit and reportedly suffers from a variety of health problems.
According to the US military, he has tried to kill himself 13 times.
Meanwhile, Mr Al Murbati, 41, is being detained in Camp 1, allegedly the highest security section at the prison, after being forced off a hunger strike last December.
Both are approaching their fifth year without charge or trial, but Mr Colangelo-Bryan has no news of any pending release.
“We have no information at all about their status,” he said.
“We have heard officials from the Bahrain government say they will continue to work to bring our other clients home and we certainly hope that happens soon.
“We always do anything we can to try and move the process along, but certainly it is very encouraging that four out of our six (Bahraini) clients are home.
Three other Bahrainis, Adel Kamel Hajee, Abdulla Al Nuaimi and Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, were released from Guantanamo last November.
Meanwhile, it is unclear if the Bahraini detainees will be included in an investigation surrounding allegations that guards beat prisoners at the detention facility.
Military personnel assigned to defend detainees apparently picked up the information, while sitting in a bar with guards from Guantanamo Bay.
Mr Colangelo-Bryan says evidence of abuse against Bahraini detainees could be part of the probe.
“It is possible, but I have no way of knowing,” he said.
“There have been instances of abuse in our clients’ cases that have been corroborated by government sources and we will have to see if these investigations disclose any more instances.”
But despite an investigation being launched, the lawyer is not confident that justice will be done.
“There are not a lot of examples of military personnel being brought to legitimate justice so I do not have any particular expectation that those (allegedly) involved will face serious consequences as a result of the investigation.”
© Gulf Daily News
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=159732&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=29218
