Edham Mamet

Edham Mamet
Edham Mamet
Born	May 4, 1975 (age 51); Ghulja, Xinjiang, China
Other names	Nag Mohammed
Known for	Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Uyghur refugee

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Edham Mamet, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

Edham Mamet (born May 4, 1975), also identified as Nag Mohammed, is a Uyghur refugee recognized for enduring over seven years of detention at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba. Captured in Afghanistan in November 2001, Mamet was one of 22 Uyghur detainees held despite early indications affirming their innocence.

In 2008, Mamet prevailed in his habeas corpus petition when Judge Ricardo Urbina declared his detention unlawful and ordered his release within the United States. Later, in October 2009, he was resettled in Palau.

Early life

According to assessments by Joint Task Force Guantanamo counter-terrorism officials, Nag Mohammed was born on May 4, 1975, in Ghulja, Xinjiang, China.

Capture

Edham Mamet was apprehended in Afghanistan during November 2001.

Determination of non-enemy combatant status

On September 30, 2008, the Department of Justice announced that Nag Mohammed along with sixteen other Uyghurs remaining at Guantanamo would no longer be classified as enemy combatants.

Habeas Corpus Petition

A habeas corpus petition titled Nag Mohammed v. George W. Bush was filed on his behalf. In response, on September 19, 2005, the Department of Defense released 30 pages of unclassified documents pertaining to his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

Refusal to permit transfer to the United States

US District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina set a hearing for October 7, 2008, to examine evidence supporting the designation of the remaining Uyghurs as enemy combatants. Nevertheless, on September 30, 2008, Assistant Attorney General Gregory G. Katsas declared that the seventeen Uyghur detainees would no longer be treated as enemy combatants.

Despite this ruling, several Uyghurs continued to be held in solitary confinement at Camp 6. The Department of Defense agreed to move them to Camp Iguana since they were no longer classified as enemy combatants.

When the Department of Justice failed to provide justification by October 7, Judge Urbina mandated that the Department of Defense present the Uyghurs in court on October 10. The following day, the Department of Justice submitted an Emergency Motion. A three-judge panel from the Washington Court of Appeals granted a brief postponement and scheduled a hearing for October 20, 2008. On October 16, the Department of Justice filed its rationale for maintaining certain restrictions.

Asylum in Palau

In June 2009, the government of Palau extended temporary asylum offers to some Uyghurs from Guantanamo Bay. Palau dispatched a delegation to interview the remaining detainees; twelve accepted asylum while one individual suffering from severe mental illness caused by detention was excluded.

On October 31, 2009, six Uyghurs—Edham Mamet, Ahmad Tourson, Abdul Ghappar Abdul Rahman, Anwar Hassan, Dawut Abdurehim, and Adel Noori—were released and relocated to Palau.

By June 2015, all Uyghurs had quietly departed from Palau. According to The Globe and Mail, Palau’s arrangement involved confidential payments from the U.S., including $93,333 per individual for living expenses. Former President Johnson Toribiong faced criticism for accommodating the Uyghurs in properties owned by his family members.

The men encountered difficulties assimilating into Palauan society. Cultural disparities limited employment opportunities; attempts at traditional leather craftsmanship were unsuccessful, and most secured only night-shift security guard positions with minimal social interaction. Tragically, one man’s toddler born in Palau died after falling from a balcony.

Their exit was discreetly coordinated with U.S. officials; individuals departed on commercial flights bound for undisclosed destinations.

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