Abdul Rahman al-Amri
Abdul Rahman Ma'ath Thafir al Amri | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 17, 1973 Taif, Saudi Arabia |
| Died | May 30, 2007 (aged 34) Guantanamo Bay detention facility, Cuba |
| Occupation | Detainee |
Abdul Rahman Ma'ath Thafir al Amri () (born April 17, 1973, in Taif, Saudi Arabia – died May 30, 2007) was a Saudi national detained by the United States as an enemy combatant at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that al-Amri took his own life on May 30, 2007. He was never formally charged with any war-related offenses nor granted access to legal representation during his detention.
Early life and education
Born in Taif, Saudi Arabia, on April 17, 1973, Abdul Rahman al-Amri completed education up to the middle school level. He subsequently served over nine years in the Saudi Arabian military, where he received training from American instructors specializing in antitank weaponry, artillery systems, and small arms.
Following his military service, he reportedly joined forces with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Surrender following Tora Bora
Records from his Combatant Status Review Tribunal indicate that al-Amri surrendered to Pakistani authorities in December 2001 after the Battle of Tora Bora, admitting to carrying an AK-47 assault rifle at that time.
He was transferred to Guantanamo Bay early the following year but was neither formally charged nor provided legal counsel. The Department of Defense stated he was not involved in any habeas corpus proceedings.
Hunger strikes
According to reports by the Associated Press, al-Amri engaged in several hunger strikes during his incarceration at Guantanamo. At arrival, his weight was approximately 150 pounds but declined to about 90 pounds amid a hunger strike in 2005. He reportedly continued these protests as late as March 2007 and was subjected to force-feeding through a nasal tube.
Death
On May 30, 2007, the U.S. Southern Command announced the suicide of a Saudi detainee at Guantanamo. Initially withholding the identity, the Department of Defense later informed Saudi officials who confirmed the deceased as Abdul Rahman Maadha al-Amry on May 31.
Al-Amri was discovered hanging by his neck inside his cell using a ligature fashioned from braided bed linens; his hands were found loosely bound behind him. The Associated Press described him as a "high-value detainee" confined within Camp 5.
At the time of his death, al-Amri had never consulted with an attorney despite having confidential legal materials in his possession. His Combatant Status Review Tribunal records show he denied involvement in jihadist activities and refuted claims related to a video allegedly depicting the USS Cole bombing.
His death mirrored a pattern observed with three detainee suicides in June 2006; both incidents occurred soon after new commandants assumed control and prior to scheduled military commission hearings. Notably, two of those earlier detainees had been cleared for release and were not facing military commission charges.
Documents released under FOIA in 2017 revealed that al-Amri was found hanging with his hands tightly bound behind his back. Investigators from NCIS questioned how suicide could have been possible under constant observation and noted that he likely stood on a folded mattress to reach an air vent positioned over eight feet above the floor. Conflicting reports also emerged regarding an interrogation planned shortly before his death.
These details cast uncertainty on the official account of his suicide and underscored procedural irregularities throughout his detention period.
Press coverage
Documents from the Department of Defense dated September 2007 disclosed that in 2002, al Amri alerted camp officials about how the conditions within the facility were driving detainees toward suicide.
See also
External links
- Andy Worthington, "Suicide at Guantánamo: the story of Abdul Rahman al-Amri", Andy Worthington website, April 24, 2008
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Articles without Wikidata item
- 1973 births
- 2007 deaths
- Saudi Arabian extrajudicial prisoners of the United States
- Guantanamo Bay detention deaths
- Prisoners who died in United States military detention
- Saudi Arabian people who died in prison custody
- 2007 suicides
- Suicides in Cuba