Aziz Abdul Naji

Abdul Aziz Naji
Abdul Aziz Naji
Born	May 4, 1975 (age 51); Batna, Algeria
Occupation	Former Guantanamo detainee
Known for	Detained without formal charges at Guantanamo Bay; repatriation to Algeria; legal appeals

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Aziz Abdul Naji, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

Abdul Aziz Naji is an Algerian national who was detained without formal charges at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. His assigned Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 744. According to U.S. intelligence sources, he was born on May 4, 1975, in Batna, Algeria.

Naji was transferred to Guantanamo on August 5, 2002, and was eventually sent back to Algeria in July 2010 against his wishes. Despite his assertions of facing a significant risk of torture upon return, the Obama administration proceeded with his repatriation. His appeal to the Supreme Court was unsuccessful, drawing criticism from various human rights organizations.

Following his return, on July 25, 2010, Algerian authorities charged Naji and placed him under judicial supervision; however, specifics regarding the charges or the nature of the supervision have not been disclosed.

Background

Abdul Aziz Naji has stated that he was present in Pakistan engaged in charitable activities related to zakat. He sustained a leg injury caused by a land mine while working near Kashmir, prior to the al Qaeda attacks on the United States, and subsequently underwent a year-long medical recovery in Pakistan. He was captured shortly after being discharged from the hospital during a visit to Peshawar for discussions related to arranging a marriage.

Clearance by Obama administration's Guantanamo Review Task Force

Throughout his detention, Naji was never formally charged by U.S. authorities. On May 20, 2009, the Guantanamo Review Task Force, established under President Obama's Executive Order dated January 22, 2009, cleared him for transfer.

Habeas corpus

Naji's habeas corpus petition commenced in 2005. On July 15, 2008, attorney Kristine A. Huskey submitted a "NOTICE OF PETITIONERS’ REQUEST FOR 30-DAYS NOTICE OF TRANSFER" representing detainees not officially identified.

His most recent legal representatives, Ellen Lubell and Doris Tennant from Newton, Massachusetts, petitioned Newton’s city council to designate their client as a sanctuary case, inspired by a similar initiative in nearby Amherst.

Disappearance alleged

In an email dated July 23, 2010, Bill Quigley, Legal Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, reported that Abdul Aziz Naji had vanished following his forced return to Algeria by U.S. authorities. Naji expressed concerns about potential persecution from both Algerian officials and extremist groups. At that time, he had filed for political asylum in Switzerland and was engaged in ongoing legal proceedings there.

January 2012 conviction

On January 16, 2012, Naji was found guilty of “membership in a terrorist organization abroad.” He consistently asserted that his role was limited to charitable work in Afghanistan rather than armed involvement. The human rights organization Reprieve highlighted that the prosecution’s case depended exclusively on unverified claims originating from Guantanamo detainee records without introducing fresh evidence.

Swiss asylum request

According to a June 2013 report by the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Naji applied for asylum in Switzerland in 2009. His initial request was denied by the Federal Migration Office; however, on December 10, 2009, Switzerland's Federal Administrative Court determined that the refusal lacked sufficient justification and mandated a reassessment.

When questioned in June 2013 regarding delays in reviewing his case, the Federal Migration Office responded: “The length of asylum procedures varies depending on factors such as additional investigations and prioritization of cases.”

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