Hassan Anvar
Anwar Hassan | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 25, 1974 China |
| Occupation | Refugee |
| Known for | Wrongful detention at Guantanamo Bay detention camp |
Anwar Hassan (born 25 August 1974) is a Uyghur refugee from China who endured wrongful detention for more than seven years at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp.[1][2]
He was one of 22 Uyghurs imprisoned at Guantanamo despite early indications proving their innocence.[1][3][4]
Combatant Status Review Tribunals
The Bush administration initially refused to grant Geneva Convention protections to detainees accused of terrorism, a stance that faced legal opposition. Critics insisted that the United States was obligated to hold competent tribunals to determine prisoners’ status as lawful combatants.
In response, the United States Department of Defense created Combatant Status Review Tribunals, which were authorized only to assess whether detainees met the administration’s criteria for being an enemy combatant, without adjudicating on lawful combatant status under international law.
Hassan participated in several reviews after his initial Tribunal concluded he was not an enemy combatant. According to the analysis No-hearing hearings, Hassan did not attend his Tribunal hearing.[5]
This research pointed out Hassan as an example where the first Tribunal cleared him of enemy combatant designation, but subsequent Tribunals reversed that determination.[5]
Current status
On 4 February 2009, The Globe and Mail reported that the refugee applications for Hassan Anvar and two fellow Uyghurs were approaching finalization. Uyghur human rights advocate Mehmet Tohti mentioned meeting with Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who expressed favorable support for admitting Anvar and two other unnamed individuals. The Don Valley Refugee Resettlement Organization acted as sponsor for Anvar’s refugee application.
Temporary asylum in Palau
In June 2009, the government of Palau extended temporary asylum offers to several Uyghur detainees. Palau dispatched representatives to Guantanamo to interview the men; twelve out of thirteen were offered asylum, excluding one individual suffering from a serious mental illness. On 31 October 2009, six Uyghurs—"Anwar Hassan", Ahmad Tourson, Abdul Ghappar Abdul Rahman, Edham Mamet, Dawut Abdurehim, and Adel Noori—were relocated to Palau.
By June 2015, all Uyghurs had quietly departed from Palau. According to The Globe and Mail, this arrangement involved undisclosed U.S. financial contributions, including payments of $93,333 per Uyghur for living costs. Former President Johnson Toribiong faced criticism over housing arrangements involving properties linked to his family members.
The group encountered significant cultural and economic integration challenges in Palau. Efforts to secure steady employment and operate traditional leathercraft businesses largely proved unsuccessful; ultimately, all found work as night security guards requiring minimal local engagement. Tragically, one man’s toddler born in Palau died after falling from a balcony. Their exit was discreetly coordinated with U.S. officials, departing Palau on commercial flights bound for undisclosed locations.
External links
- From Guantánamo to the United States: The Account of the Wrongfully Detained Uighurs Andy Worthington 9 October 2008
- Unclassified Opinion by Judge Ricardo Urbina (Redacted Version)
- MOTIONS AND STATUS HEARING – UIGHUR CASES BEFORE HONORABLE RICARDO M. URBINA
- Palau Uyghurs Endeavor to Establish New Lives Kyodo News 15 December 2009
- Human Rights First; Habeas Works: Demonstrated Ability of Federal Courts to Manage Guantánamo Cases (2010)
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedccrjustice.org - ↑ "Ali Mohammed, or Anwar Hassan: Chinese Uyghur Guantánamo Refugee in Need of Protection" (PDF). Center for Constitutional Rights. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
- ↑ Delahunt, Bill; Willett, Sabin (2009-04-02). "Innocent detainees need a home". The Boston Globe.
- ↑ China's Uighurs trapped at Guantanamo, Asia Times, 4 November 2004
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNo-hearing_hearings