Jamil el-Banna
Jamil Abdul Latif el-Banna | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 28, 1962 Jericho, West Bank |
| Nationality | Jordanian |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay, extraordinary rendition |
Jamil Abdul Latif el-Banna (, Ǧamīl ʿAbdu 'l-Laṭīf al-Bannāʾ), born on 28 May 1962, is a Jordanian national of Palestinian descent who holds refugee status in the United Kingdom and resides in the north-west region of London.[1] During a business trip to the Gambia in November 2002, he was seized by the CIA and subjected to extraordinary rendition to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. There, he was detained and interrogated until March 2003, after which he was transferred to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, where he remained until 19 December 2007.[2]
Following his release and return to the UK, el-Banna was arrested upon arrival and questioned regarding charges initiated by a Spanish court; however, he was granted bail.[3] All charges against him were eventually dropped by Spain in March 2008.[4]
According to the US Department of Defense records, his place of birth is listed as Jericho in the West Bank.
Early life and education
Born in Jericho, West Bank, in 1962, Jamil el-Banna’s family relocated shortly thereafter to a refugee camp near Amman, Jordan. He discontinued formal education at the age of ten and became involved in minor criminal activities.
Legal resident in United Kingdom
El-Banna relocated to the United Kingdom in 1994 where he obtained refugee status and established residence in north-west London. Subsequently, he was employed by the brother of a friend who was setting up a peanut oil manufacturing business in the Gambia.
Jamil el-Banna's detention in The Gambia
El-Banna traveled with Bisher al-Rawi to the Gambia to collect equipment intended for the edible oil factory owned by Bisher’s brother. Upon their arrival at Banjul International Airport on 8 November 2002, they were detained by the National Intelligence Agency under suspicion of alleged ties to al-Qaeda, reportedly following intelligence from British security agencies. They were held under unofficial house arrest without formal charges and informed that release would follow an inspection of their machinery for potential terrorist use. Instead of being confined in a Gambian prison, they were kept at a CIA-operated safe house guarded by Gambian personnel while being interrogated by American agents.
In late December 2002, a CIA ‘black team’ clad in black uniforms and balaclavas transported them forcibly; they were restrained and subjected to an unlawful 'rendition' to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. At Bagram, el-Banna endured weeks of confinement underground in complete darkness.
During his detention there, he encountered fellow British detainee Moazzam Begg, whose bookstore he had previously visited in England.[5] El-Banna earned the nickname 'Kenny Rogers' after amusing American guards by singing part of Coward of the County.[5]
In March 2003, both el-Banna and al-Rawi were transferred into United States military custody at Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
Allegations of torture
According to a report by The Guardian, Clive Stafford Smith, the attorney representing Jamil el-Banna, revealed that his client participated in hunger strikes to protest indefinite detention without formal charges and instances of mistreatment. One such strike commenced on 8 August 2005, prompted by guards manually inspecting prisoners' copies of the Qur'an. A December 2005 article in The Times referenced el-Banna's assertion that American interrogators had informed him that MI5 was complicit in his extraordinary rendition.
Legal representatives for Guantanamo detainees are required to submit all their notes as 'classified' material and can only review them within a secure facility near Washington, DC. Recently declassified notes obtained by The Times included a statement from an interrogator to el-Banna: "It is your government, Britain, the MI5, who contacted the CIA and informed them you and Bisher were in Gambia... Britain betrayed you to the CIA."
El-Banna also claimed that US agents offered him $10 million and a US passport in exchange for testimony against Abu Qatada, an offer he declined. Following this refusal, an interrogator threatened harm against his family.
Contact with his family
El-Banna is married and has five children, with his youngest born after his abduction. His son Anas penned a heartfelt appeal to then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, urging the government to secure his father's release from detention in Cuba.
An article published on 1 November 2006 by the Willesden & Brent Times reported that el-Banna made his first telephone call to his wife on 19 October 2006 after four years in custody—a rare allowance likely influenced by MP Sarah Teather's efforts. His wife recounted that el-Banna was startled upon hearing her voice, having anticipated another interrogation instead.
Bisher al-Rawi's release
On 29 March 2007, UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, MP announced that the UK Government had successfully negotiated the return of Bisher al-Rawi, a legal British resident and travel companion of el-Banna, from Guantanamo. As reported by the Associated Press, Beckett addressed Parliament with this update:
Beckett's statement did not mention el-Banna or other former UK residents still detained at Guantanamo Bay. The cases involving Jamil el-Banna and other former British legal residents sparked controversy within the UK, leading to public demands for their release. The government had taken a different approach regarding British citizens, all of whom were released prior to September 2004.
Release
On 7 August 2007, the UK government formally requested the release of Jamil el-Banna along with four other foreign nationals who held legal British residency, cautioning that negotiations could extend over several months. El-Banna was freed on 18 November 2007 and returned to Britain by air. Upon arrival, he was detained and questioned under port controls before being arrested on 19 November based on a Spanish extradition warrant alleging ties to al-Qaeda in Madrid. On 20 December, he was granted bail set at £50,000—partially posted by actress Vanessa Redgrave—subject to conditions including a curfew and electronic monitoring.
Similarly, Omar Deghayes faced arrest and questioning upon return and appeared in court under a Spanish extradition warrant. He was also released on bail on 20 December under comparable restrictions.
On 6 March 2008, Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon withdrew the extradition request on humanitarian grounds after reviewing a medical report dated 12 February 2008. The report diagnosed el-Banna with "post-traumatic stress syndrome, severe depression, and suicidal tendencies." Judge Garzon concluded that pursuing prosecution given their compromised mental health would be cruel and inhumane.
Investigation into Allegations of Torture
On 29 April 2009, Spanish judge Baltazar Garzon initiated an official inquiry to determine if the confessions provided by Ikassrien and three other former detainees of Guantanamo were extracted through coercive interrogation methods. The individuals involved—El-Banna, Hamed Abderrahman Ahmed, Lahcen Ikassrien, and Omar Deghayes—had previously been prosecuted in Spanish courts based on statements obtained during their detention by US authorities. These legal proceedings were ultimately dismissed following assertions that the confessions were fabricated and elicited under pressure.
See also
External links
- Jamil El-Banna’s first interview since returning from Guantánamo — Andy Worthington
- UK judge approves use of secret evidence in Guantánamo case — Andy Worthington
- Former prisoners launch the Guantánamo Justice Centre in London — Andy Worthington
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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- ↑ "Guantanamo detainees out on bail". BBC News. 20 December 2007.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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