Khalid Abdullah Mishal al Mutairi
Khalid Abdullah Mishal al Mutairi | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18, 1975 Kuwait |
| Other names | Khalid Hassan |
| Occupation | Humanitarian worker |
| Known for | Wrongful detention at Guantanamo Bay |
Khalid Abdullah Mishal al Mutairi (born June 18, 1975), also referred to as Khalid Hassan, is a Kuwaiti humanitarian worker who was wrongfully held at the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camp located in Cuba. His release was mandated in August 2009 after it was established that the U.S. authorities bore the responsibility of proving his culpability instead of requiring him to demonstrate his innocence.[1] The presiding judge observed that al Mutairi had been "provoked" into providing self-incriminating statements during questioning, including a fabricated confession implicating Osama bin Laden from 1991, while some of his narratives contained inconsistencies.[1]
Al Mutairi was apprehended close to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in November 2001 and was subsequently returned to Kuwait on October 13, 2009.[2]
Combatant Status Review
An error in an intelligence document incorrectly associated al-Mutayri with operating an anti-aircraft weapon in Afghanistan due to confusion between detainee ID numbers.[1]
Al-Mutayri acknowledged departing Kuwait shortly after the events of 9/11 carrying $15,000 in cash, heading toward the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. His name was listed among detainees used by U.S. officials as proof of al-Qaeda affiliation, a claim that the judge rejected.[1]
During his detention, interrogation records described al-Mutayri as uncooperative, noting that he requested to be called Osama bin Laden and displayed animosity toward the United States, citing mistreatment and skepticism about the effectiveness of Guantanamo's legal procedures.[1]
Judgment by Justice Colleen Kollar-Kotelly
US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly’s decision on al-Mutayri's habeas corpus petition underscored major flaws within the CSR Tribunal process, stating that although the detainee’s story was considered "unlikely," the government had not presented sufficiently trustworthy evidence to satisfy its legal obligation.
Repatriation
On July 29, 2009, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Khaled Al Mutairi's prompt return to his home country and required agencies involved to publish a declassified version of her ruling within two days. She criticized the case’s dependence on scant evidence, such as a solitary mention in an interrogation report alleging attendance at a terrorist training camp, and dismissed the significance of his presence on a publicly released "list of captured mujahideen," pointing out detainees were informed their names would be revealed if they claimed such status.
As reported by Carol Rosenberg from the Miami Herald, Khalid Mutairi was among two individuals transferred out of Guantanamo on October 9, 2009. A Kuwaiti advocacy organization indicated that the new detention center would provide inmates with educational opportunities, healthcare services, group therapy sessions, and physical activities designed to support their rehabilitation after incarceration.
External links
- Wikileaks Detainee Assessment for Khalid Abdullah Mishal al Mutairi at Guantanamo
- Kuwaiti Charity Worker Ordered Released from Guantánamo by Judge Andy Worthington, August 4, 2009
- Guantánamo and Judicial Proceedings (Part Two): The Obama Administration’s Controversy Andy Worthington
- Release of Two Additional Guantánamo Inmates to Kuwait and Belgium Andy Worthington