Ali Ahmad Muhammad Al Rahizi
Ali Ahmad Muhammad Al Rahizi | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 13, 1979 Taiz, Yemen |
| Occupation | Former detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention facility |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay without formal charges; classified as "forever prisoner" and later released |
Ali Ahmad Muhammad Al Rahizi is a Yemeni national who was detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. His Internment Serial Number assigned at Guantanamo was 45. According to analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo focused on counter-terrorism, he was born on October 13, 1979, in Taiz, Yemen.
He was among the initial group of twenty detainees transferred to Guantanamo on January 11, 2002, and was classified as one of the "worst of the worst." Additionally, intelligence personnel included him in the group referred to as the "Dirty Thirty." In 2009, authorities labeled him a "forever prisoner," indicating that although there was no proof of war crimes, he was deemed too high-risk for release.
This status was overturned following a Periodic Review Board hearing held in April 2014. Subsequently, on November 16, 2015, he was relocated to the United Arab Emirates along with four other Yemeni nationals. Later, Al Rahizi was returned to Yemen on October 27, 2021.
Official status reviews
The Bush Administration initially maintained that detainees captured during the "war on terror" were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions and could be indefinitely detained without charges or transparent legal process. However, in 2004, the United States Supreme Court decided in Rasul v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo must be informed of the accusations against them and be given an opportunity to contest their detention.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
In response to the Supreme Court's decision, the United States Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants to conduct reviews of detainees' statuses.
A 2008 analysis by the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, sorted remaining detainees according to military allegations:
- Ali Ahmad Muhammad Al Rahizi was accused of being affiliated with Al Qaeda.
- He allegedly stayed at guesthouses associated with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or similar groups.
- Military sources claimed he underwent terrorist training in Afghanistan.
- His capture circumstances suggested involvement in hostile activities.
- He purportedly served as part of Osama Bin Laden’s security detail.
- Identified as an al Qaeda operative by military intelligence.
- Among 82 detainees who either did not make statements or whose statements were unrelated to military allegations during their tribunals.
Habeas corpus
A writ of habeas corpus, titled Ali Ahmed Mohammed Al Rezehi v. George W. Bush, was filed on behalf of Ali Ahmed Mohammed Al Rezehi. On October 14, 2004, the Department of Defense released 26 pages of unclassified documents connected to his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
Mentioned in the "No-hearing hearings" study
The study titled No-hearing hearings highlighted an irregularity in Al Rahizi's case file. His Personal Representative met with him for only twenty minutes on September 23, 2004; however, the Tribunal convened on September 28, 2004, without his presence.
The Summary of the Basis for Tribunal Decision stated:[1]
Nonetheless, the study observed:[1]
Previously Classified Joint Task Force Guantanamo Evaluation
On April 25, 2011, the whistleblowing group WikiLeaks disclosed once-classified evaluations prepared by analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo. This nine-page document, created on June 20, 2008, and authorized by the camp commander Rear Admiral David M. Thomas Jr., recommended that detention continue.
Transfer
Analysts at Guantanamo designated him as a member of the "Dirty Thirty". In 2009, he was categorized as a "forever prisoner", indicating that although no war crimes evidence was found, he was considered too risky to release. However, during a Periodic Review Board session in April 2014, this classification was revoked. Subsequently, on November 16, 2015, he was relocated to the United Arab Emirates alongside four other detainees from Yemen.
Release
Al Rahizi returned to Yemen and was freed on October 27, 2021.