Faris Muslim al Ansari

Faris Muslim al Ansari
Born	1984 Mukala, Yemen
Occupation	Former detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp
Known for	Detention at Guantanamo Bay

Faris Muslim al Ansari is an Afghan national who was seventeen years old at the time of his capture and detention at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. His Internment Serial Number was 253. U.S. intelligence agencies estimate his birth year as 1984, with his place of birth recorded as Mukala, Yemen.

Combatant Status Review Tribunal

The Bush administration initially asserted that detainees held at Guantanamo were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions, a position that faced legal challenges for circumventing established due process rights. In reaction, the United States Department of Defense created Combatant Status Review Tribunals to evaluate whether detainees fit the administration’s classification of enemy combatant. These tribunals did not adjudicate lawful combatant status but rather reviewed prior determinations. Al Ansari took part in his tribunal proceeding.

Allegations

During his Tribunal, Al Ansari was confronted with the following allegations:

Administrative Review Board hearing

Individuals confirmed as "enemy combatants" were subject to annual Administrative Review Board (ARB) hearings. These boards did not revisit prisoner of war status or enemy combatant designations but instead assessed whether continued detention remained necessary due to ongoing security risks or if release or repatriation could be considered.

Al Ansari initially planned to attend his ARB hearing. However, after learning from his Assisting Military Officer that no legal counsel would be present and details regarding attending officers were unclear, he chose to abstain from participation.

During the hearing, the Presiding Officer questioned the Designated Military Officer about two individuals associated with Kandahar guest houses named "Abu Kaloud" and "Abu Kalood Al Yemeni". The officer suspected they might be the same individual but required confirmation.

Additionally, Al Ansari had requested testimony from a person named Abu Jahad Al-Yemani during his Tribunal.

Medical records

On March 16, 2007, the Department of Defense released height and weight data for nearly all detainees held at Guantanamo, excluding ten individuals. Faris Muslim Al Ansari was among those whose medical measurements were withheld without explanation.

Repatriation

The Department of Defense published a roster on November 26, 2008, listing dates when detainees were transferred out of Guantanamo. This record indicates that Faris al-Ansari was repatriated on December 28, 2007.

Furthermore, on January 9, 2009, documents from the third series of Administrative Review Board hearings (2007–2008) were made public. These documents show no ARB review was scheduled for Al-Ansari in 2007. Previous hearings in 2005 and 2006 had not recommended his release. Despite the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants advising continued detention, Al-Ansari was returned to his home country alongside nine other detainees.

See also

• Minors detained in the War on Terror

External links

• The Pentagon Unable to Accurately Account for 22 Juvenile Detainees at Guantánamo Andy Worthington