Mahmud Salem Horan Mohammed Mutlak Al Ali

Mahmud Salem Horan Mohammed Mutlak Al Ali
Born	(1974-05-05) May 5, 1974 Doha, Qatar
Occupation	Former detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp
Known for	Detention at Guantanamo Bay and subsequent release to Germany

Mahmud Salem Horan Mohammed Mutlak Al Ali is a Syrian national who spent more than eight years in custody at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba, following his designation as an enemy combatant by the United States. His Internment Serial Number at Guantanamo was 537.

According to analysts from the Joint Task Force Guantanamo specializing in counter-terrorism, Al Ali was born on 5 May 1974 in Doha, Qatar. On 16 September 2010, Al Ali, together with Palestinian detainee Ohmed Ahmed Mahamoud Al Shurfa, was released and transferred to Germany. German authorities reported that Al Ali was not regarded as a security risk upon his resettlement.

Combatant Status Review

A Summary of Evidence memorandum prepared for the tribunal outlined allegations against him:

The document was issued on three occasions; the initial two editions included redacted sections.

Mahmud Salem Horan Mohammed Mutlak Al Ali v. George Walker Bush

A writ of habeas corpus titled Mahmud Salem Horan Mohammed Mutlak Al Ali v. George Walker Bush was filed in his defense. On 6 May 2005, the Department of Defense made public 15 pages of unclassified material related to his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

Detainee election form

On 21 October 2004, from 8:12 am to 8:32 am, his Personal Representative conducted an interview with him. The Personal Representative documented on the Detainee election form:

The detainee chose not to engage in the Tribunal proceedings. The Tribunal was held In Absentia. Throughout the interview, he remained silent and did not respond verbally. Nevertheless, I presented the unclassified evidence to him, which he reviewed twice. I have completed the initial interview silent detainee worksheet. Please cancel the follow-up session scheduled for 22 Oct at 0800 and the final session on 26 Oct at 0730. The IA Tribunal is currently set for 27 Oct at 1300.

Decision memo

His classification as an "enemy combatant" was upheld by Tribunal panel 15, which convened on October 23, 2004. The decision memo highlighted that the detainee did not take part in his Tribunal and that the panel relied solely on classified evidence.

The Personal Representative informed the detainee of his rights and provided a translated copy of the unclassified summary of evidence. The detainee read this summary twice before returning it. He displayed a sarcastic facial expression indicating comprehension but remained uncommunicative with the PR, who concluded that the detainee opted not to engage in Tribunal procedures as detailed in exhibit D-a. The detainee did not attend the hearing.

Boumediene v. Bush

On 12 June 2008, the United States Supreme Court determined in Boumediene v. Bush that the Military Commissions Act could not remove Guantanamo detainees’ entitlement to seek relief through the US Federal Court system. Consequently, all previously filed habeas petitions were reinstated. On 18 July 2008, Samuel C. Kauffman submitted a renewed habeas petition on behalf of Al Ali.

Administrative Review Board

Detainees designated as "enemy combatants" by their Combatant Status Review Tribunal were subject to yearly Administrative Review Board hearings. These evaluations examined whether detainees posed potential risks if released or transferred and considered factors supporting ongoing detention.

Initial Annual Administrative Review Board

The Summary of Evidence memo prepared for Mahmud Salem Horan Mohammed Mutlak Al Ali's initial annual Administrative Review Board, held on 6 October 2005, identified twenty-two key factors supporting continued detention alongside nine key factors advocating for release or transfer.

Second Annual Administrative Review Board

For Al Ali's second annual Administrative Review Board session on 19 June 2006, the Summary of Evidence memo outlined six principal factors favoring ongoing detention and an equal number of six factors supporting release or transfer.

Relocation to Germany

On 16 September 2010, Al Ali was transferred to Germany along with Saudi detainee Ohmed Ahmed Mahamoud Al Shurfa and another individual. Al Ali was assigned to reside in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Der Spiegel reported that prior to the transfer, Germany's Federal Government obtained consent from local authorities. German officials affirmed that American authorities had cleared the men of any terrorist affiliations. A German representative remarked: Based on our information, he poses no threat ... We have not admitted a sleeper agent into our country. In March, German security personnel conducted interviews with the detainees at Guantanamo to assess their suitability and coordinated with other European intelligence agencies, which confirmed no connections to terrorism.

External links

• Who Are the Two Guantánamo Prisoners Freed in Germany?, Andy Worthington.co.uk, 21 September 2010.