Fouad Mahmoud al Rabiah
Fouad Mahmoud al Rabiah | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 24, 1959 Kuwait |
| Occupation | Former airline executive |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay (2002–2009) |
Fouad Mahmoud al Rabiah (born June 24, 1959) is a former Kuwaiti airline executive who was held at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba from May 2002 until December 2009. His assigned Internment Serial Number at Guantanamo was 551.
Having pursued education in the United States, al Rabiah identified strongly with American culture. Alongside his family, he engaged actively in philanthropic efforts, frequently visiting charitable initiatives they supported to oversee progress. In 2001, he traveled to Afghanistan with humanitarian intentions.
Although initially charged by a Guantanamo military commission in 2008, all allegations against al Rabiah were dismissed in 2009. After the resolution of his habeas corpus case in September 2009, a U.S. District Court Judge ordered his immediate release, which took place on December 9, 2009. His legal representatives called upon President Barack Obama to offer an official apology and appropriate restitution for the unjust detention he endured.
Guantanamo military commission
Charges against Fouad al Rabiah and Fayiz Al Kandari were formally filed by the Office of Military Commissions on October 22, 2008.
On August 12, 2009, Lieutenant Commander Kevin Bogucki, serving as al Rabiah's defense attorney, disclosed that his authorization to travel to Kuwait had been withheld.
Subsequently, all charges against al Rabiah were withdrawn in 2009.
Fouad al Rabia's weight
Medical records documenting Fouad al Rabiah’s weight were included among documents released during the charging process.
Torture
An article published by CNN, titled "Former Guantanamo inmates tell of confessions under 'torture'", featured interviews with al Rabiah and other former detainees.
Al Rabiah recounted to reporter Jenifer Fenton that he endured torture at the hands of his initial captors from the Northern Alliance, as well as during his detention at Kandahar detention facility, Bagram Collection Point, and Guantanamo Bay. He stated he underwent over 200 interrogation sessions accompanied by extensive torture. He presented Fenton with a two-page letter discovered in Tora Bora that he asserted was coerced through torture; this document implicated him and his son Abdullah in a 1991 assault, although his son was only one year old at that time.
He described that after being threatened with the question "Would you like to go home a drug addict?", he began confessing to all charges—viewing this as a pressure tactic intended to extract false admissions.
Repatriation
The Kuwait Times reported on May 12, 2007, that negotiations between Kuwait and the United States had concluded regarding the return of the remaining Kuwaiti detainees.
Immediate release
On September 17, 2009, US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly determined that al Rabiah’s continued detention was no longer justified under the Authorization for the Use of Military Force and ordered his release from Guantanamo Bay. He was transferred back to Kuwait on December 9, 2009. The U.S. Department of Justice announced his handover to Kuwaiti authorities pursuant to an agreement between both nations, with plans for ongoing consultations.
See also
External links
- NPR coverage from April 28, 2011, on judicial scrutiny of evidence related to Guantanamo detainees
- Kuwaiti citizen repatriated from Guantanamo via royal aircraft
- Heartfelt reception upon return of Guantanamo detainee
- Release of Fouad al-Rabiah, an innocent victim of Guantánamo torture, in Kuwait
- Kuwaiti engineer freed from Guantanamo; judicial decision underscores problems with forced testimony
- War crimes charges against Kuwaiti dropped by Pentagon
- Andrew Sullivan's commentary on President Obama's stance on torture
- Court ruling by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (PDF)