Dawut Abdurehim
Dawut Abdurehim | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1974 Ghulja, Xinjiang, China |
| Occupation(s) | Refugee, former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay; successful habeas corpus petition; resettlement in Palau |
Dawut Abdurehim (, born 1974) is a Uyghur refugee who spent more than seven years detained at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. Despite early acknowledgment of their innocence, he was among 22 Uyghurs held there. In 2008, Abdurehim succeeded in his habeas corpus petition when Judge Ricardo Urbina declared his detention unlawful and ordered his release within the United States. He was eventually resettled in Palau in October 2009.
Early life
According to American intelligence assessments, Abdurehim was born in 1974 in Ghulja, located in Xinjiang, China.
Capture
After escaping from Afghanistan, Abdurehim was transferred to Pakistani authorities.
Detention
He was assigned the Internment Serial Number 289 by U.S. intelligence personnel.
Combatant Status Review
Abdurehim participated in his tribunal hearing, as did approximately 60% of detainees. For each detainee, a Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for their tribunal proceedings.
The memo concerning Abdurehim listed the following allegations against him:
On March 3, 2006, pursuant to a court directive from Jed Rakoff, the Department of Defense released a nine-page summarized transcript of his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
Dawut Abdurehim v. George W. Bush
A writ of habeas corpus, titled Dawut Abdurehim v. George W. Bush, was submitted on his behalf. On September 8, 2006, 31 pages of unclassified documents related to his Combatant Status Review Tribunal were made public by the Department of Defense.
Legal Sufficiency Review
The Legal Sufficiency Review for his Combatant Status Review Tribunal was prepared on January 18, 2005, by Assistant Legal Advisor Commander Karen M. Gibbs.
His status as an enemy combatant was upheld by Tribunal panel number 12.
Commander Gibbs observed that the Tribunal panel "substantially complied" with procedural requirements and unanimously designated detainee #289 as an enemy combatant. Nonetheless, the CSRT recommended "favorable consideration for release," stipulating no forced repatriation to China.
Testimony on behalf of Abdul Razak
Dawut Abdurehim provided testimony supporting Abdul Razak, indicating that Razak delivered food twice to the Uyghur camp and did not engage in combat activities. Both men escaped American aerial strikes in Afghanistan by crossing mountainous terrain into Pakistan, where they were subsequently handed over to Pakistani officials.
On Abdul Razak’s detainee election form, Dawut Abdurehim was recorded under the name "Sabet."
Both men testified that they neither witnessed each other training with nor carrying weapons. Abdul Razak identified the camp’s location as being near a village named Urhurl in Afghanistan.
Current status
In 2006, five Uyghurs whose Combatant Status Review Tribunals concluded they were not enemy combatants were relocated to a refugee camp in Albania. A Uyghur-born individual from Saudi Arabia was also returned there, while other Uyghurs remained detained at Guantanamo.
In September 2007, the Department of Defense published all Summary of Evidence memos from the 2006 Administrative Review Boards. There is no documentation of a Board review for one detainee during either 2005 or 2006.
Additionally, the DoD released recommendation memos from 133 Administrative Review Boards held in 2005 and 55 from 2006; however, no such memos were disclosed for Dawut Abdurehim.
Following the June 12, 2008 Supreme Court decision in Boumediene v. Bush, Guantanamo detainees regained access to civilian courts to pursue habeas corpus petitions. Separately, Huzaifa Parhat’s Detainee Treatment Act appeal found errors in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal due to inadequate evidence; the Department of Justice retained the option to appeal with additional evidence. This led to scheduling reviews of the Uyghurs’ habeas petitions.
In September 2008, just before the DOJ was expected to provide justification for detaining the Uyghurs after more than six years without formal charges, it conceded that no evidence existed supporting their continued detention.
Temporary Refuge in Palau
In June 2009, the Palauan government extended temporary refuge to several Uyghur detainees remaining at Guantanamo Bay. A delegation from Palau conducted interviews with the detainees; asylum was granted to twelve out of thirteen individuals, while one detainee suffering from a serious mental illness was denied acceptance.
On October 31, 2009, six Uyghurs—Abdulrehim, Ahmad Tourson, Abdul Ghappar Abdul Rahman, Edham Mamet, Anwar Hassan, and Adel Noori—were relocated to Palau.
By June 2015, all these Uyghurs had quietly departed from Palau. According to The Globe and Mail, Palau’s arrangement included U.S. payments amounting to $93,333 per individual to cover their living costs. Former President Johnson Toribiong became a subject of controversy after reports indicated that the Uyghurs were accommodated in properties linked to his family members.
The men faced difficulties assimilating into Palauan life due to cultural disparities and scarce employment options. Although some brought their spouses, most efforts to secure steady work or start ventures using their traditional leathercraft skills were unsuccessful. Eventually, all six found employment as night-time security guards, which limited their engagement with local residents.
Tragically, one of the men experienced the loss of his toddler, born in Palau, who died after falling from a balcony. Their exits were discreetly managed in coordination with U.S. officials; each left separately on commercial flights, with Palauan authorities keeping their final destinations confidential.