Guantánamo Bay
One of the very few “convicted” (through torture evidence and secret plea bargain) prisoners at Guantánamo, Majid Khan completed his 10-year sentence on 1 March. His lawyers are now suing the US government for failing to release him for more than three months, “arguing that the US has an obligation to resettle him somewhere, based on his cooperation with authorities”. One of his lawyers, Katya Jestin, said in a statement: “"The government's failure to transfer Majid after serving his sentence makes the military commissions system utterly pointless.
“Why have a trial and sentencing, let alone plead guilty and cooperate with the United States, if you aren't released at the end of your sentence? It's a failure of policy and may have larger programmatic consequences for the government.”
Iraqi prisoner Nashwan al-Tamir, aka Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, entered a plea bargain on 13 June before the military commission, pleading guilty to “war crimes charges for his role in al-Qaida attacks against U.S. and allied forces along with civilians in Afghanistan”. Held at Guantánamo for over 15 years and with pre-trial hearings in his case dragging on for many years with no clear progress, “He pleaded guilty to four of five charges against him, including conspiracy and several violations of the international laws of war as an al-Qaida commander early in the conflict in Afghanistan that formally ended with the U.S. withdrawal in August.
“He was facing up to life in prison but is expected to be eventually transferred out of Guantanamo and sent to a third country under the terms of his plea deal after he undergoes additional medical treatment at the base”.
“This is the first plea agreement in a Guantanamo case since the election of President Joe Biden, whose administration has been working to gradually reduce the number of prisoners at Guantanamo and move at least closer to being able to close it”.
https://www.voanews.com/a/iraqi-held-by-us-at-guantanamo-pleads-guilty-to-war-crimes-/6615588.html
Former Algerian prisoner Saber Lahmar, who was released to France in 2009 and has been joined by his family there, has been given a 10-year sentence in Bordeaux for spreading jihadist propaganda and reportedly inciting people to go and fight in Syria. His co-defendant was acquitted of all charges. He has consistently denied the charges and his lawyers have said they will appeal the sentence. He was never charged or tried at Guantánamo.
https://california18.com/france-lahmer-former-detainee-at-guantanamo-heavily-sentenced/5238452022/
Asadullah Harun Gul, one of the last two Afghans left at Guantánamo, has been released to his family in Afghanistan after more than 15 years and over 6 months after winning a habeas corpus petition in the US courts in which the judge ordered his release. There are now 36 prisoners at Guantánamo.
https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/rights-freedom/free-at-last-the-afghan-harun-gul-is-released-from-guantanamo-after-15-years/
