Ha'il Aziz Ahmad Al Maythal
Ha'il Aziz Ahmad Al Maythal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977 Zemar, Yemen |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detained at Guantanamo Bay detention camp |
Ha'il Aziz Ahmad Al Maythal is a Yemeni national who was subjected to extrajudicial confinement at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention facility located in Cuba. U.S. intelligence agencies estimate his birth year as 1977, with his place of origin being Zemar, Yemen.
By August 14, 2011, Maythal had been held at Guantanamo for close to nine years. He was eventually relocated to Oman on January 16, 2017.
Official status reviews
Under President George W. Bush’s administration, individuals captured during the "war on terror" were designated as outside the scope of the Geneva Conventions, permitting their indefinite detention without formal charges or transparent procedures. However, in 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Rasul v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo must be informed of the accusations against them and granted the ability to contest their detention.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, the United States Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants.
In December 2008, researchers from the Brookings Institution, under the leadership of Benjamin Wittes, classified Guantanamo detainees based on military allegations as follows:
- Ha'il Aziz Ahmad Al Maythal was suspected of traveling to Afghanistan with the intent to engage in jihad.
- He was believed to have resided in safehouses affiliated with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or similar groups.
- The military alleged he underwent military or terrorist training within Afghanistan.
- He was purported to have participated in combat operations for the Taliban.
- His name or known aliases appeared on documents seized during raids on Al Qaeda locations.
- His capture circumstances indicated hostile engagement.
- He was accused of serving as part of Osama Bin Laden’s security detail.
- Classified as an operative connected to al Qaeda.
- Included among 36 detainees who acknowledged membership or significant ties to groups hostile toward the United States.
- He admitted to fighting on behalf of either Al Qaeda or Taliban forces.
Habeas corpus petition
The habeas corpus petition for Ha'il Aziz Ahmed Al Maythal was first submitted on November 7, 2005. It was subsequently renewed by Jennifer R. Cowan on July 18, 2008.
Periodic Review
The Guantanamo Review Task Force evaluated Al Maythal’s case and agreed with previous assessments, concluding that he should be deemed too dangerous for release despite insufficient evidence to formally charge him with any crime.
External links
- Who Are the Remaining Prisoners in Guantánamo? Part Seven: Captured in Pakistan (3 of 3) Andy Worthington, October 13, 2010