Abdumuqit Vohidov
Abdumuqit Vohidov | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay, designation as a terrorist by the U.S. government |
Abdumuqit Vohidov is a citizen of Tajikistan who spent five years in extrajudicial detention at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. His assigned Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 90. Vohidov was returned to Tajikistan on 28 February 2007.
Detention by the Taliban
Vohidov was among nine individuals previously held by the Taliban who were subsequently transferred into American custody. The Taliban had accused him of espionage on behalf of Russia, resulting in nearly three years of imprisonment. While at Kandahar Airfield, he informed Captain Danner that conditions under Taliban detention were comparatively better, including access to a radio, fresh fruit, and adequate sanitation facilities.
Judicial proceedings in Tajikistan
Together with Rukniddin Sharipov, Vohidov stood trial in Tajikistan, charged with unlawfully crossing into Afghanistan from Tajikistan in early 2001 and affiliating with fighters from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. On 18 August 2007, both were sentenced to 17 years after being found guilty of mercenary activities.
A 2009 article by Carol Rosenberg in the Miami Herald reported that Tajik security authorities allegedly coerced Vohidov, Sharipov, and fellow detainee Umar Abdulayev to falsely admit to militant jihadist involvement and to provide intelligence concerning actual militants following their return.
Interview with McClatchy
On 15 June 2008, the McClatchy News Service released a series of articles based on interviews with 66 former Guantanamo detainees, including Airat Vakhitov. Vakhitov described persistent mental health struggles and expressed fears about potential reprisals from Russian security forces if contacted personally.
Previously serving as an imam in Tatarstan, Vakhitov was detained amid a crackdown targeting Chechen communities. After a brief release, he fled Russia due to threats against his safety. He asserted that he had been abducted by members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and forcibly taken to Afghanistan.
2012 judicial election controversy
During her campaign for the Michigan Supreme Court, Bridget McCormack defended Vakhitov. In 2012, the Judicial Crisis Network broadcast an advertisement accusing her of "freeing a terrorist." Andrew Rosenthal of The New York Times criticized this ad, pointing out that Vakhitov's release followed a non-judicial review conducted by the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants in 2007.
Allegations of volunteering in Iraq and Syria
In 2016, reports emerged indicating that Vakhitov had volunteered to engage in combat activities in Iraq and Syria, joining Russian Islamist fighters operating within those regions.
Designation as a terrorist by John Kerry
On 29 June 2016, then-Secretary of State John F. Kerry labeled Vakhitov as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist pursuant to Executive Order 13224, citing his participation in actions deemed threatening to U.S. national security.