Mehdi Ghezali
Mehdi Mohammad Ghezali | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 5, 1979 Botkyrka, Stockholm, Sweden |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay |
Mehdi Mohammad Ghezali (; born 5 July 1979), often referred to in the press as the Cuban-Swede (), is a Swedish national of Algerian and Finnish heritage who was detained without formal charges at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba from January 2002 until July 2004. During his confinement, Ghezali alleged that he endured both physical and psychological torture.
Prior to his detention, Ghezali studied at a Muslim religious institution and frequented a mosque in the United Kingdom. He later traveled through Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, where authorities eventually took him into custody. Upon his release, all allegations against him by the Swedish government concerning purported criminal activities before his arrest were dropped.
In December 2002, Pakistani authorities dismissed all accusations related to his apprehension near the Afghan frontier. Although suspected of involvement in a prison riot in Pakistan that caused 17 fatalities, including seven prison officers, Ghezali denied any participation.
In August 2009, Pakistani security forces announced the capture of an individual carrying Ghezali’s passport as he attempted to enter Afghanistan. The Associated Press reported that this person was among 156 individuals believed to be al-Qaeda operatives fleeing from the Tora Bora region; however, Ghezali refuted any association with al-Qaeda.
Following the 2012 bombing targeting a bus in Burgas, Bulgarian media mistakenly named Ghezali as the suicide attacker. Both Swedish and Bulgarian officials quickly dismissed these claims within two days. Ghezali was also featured in the documentary Gitmo – The New Rules of War.
Early life and travel
Mehdi Ghezali was born on 5 July 1979 in Botkyrka, Stockholm, and grew up in Örebro as the son of an Algerian father and a Finnish mother. He completed his secondary education in 1999 and trained professionally as a welder. That same year, he became a suspect in a theft case but left Sweden before police could interrogate him. While his father stated that Ghezali had gone to Algeria for military service, Mehdi instead traveled to Portugal pursuing a football career.
On 31 July 1999, Portuguese law enforcement detained Ghezali along with Stavros Christos Toilos on suspicion of involvement in a bank robbery and jewelry theft in the Algarve area. The bank robbery netted €600,000 while the jewelry theft amounted to €5,000. They remained imprisoned in Portugal for ten months without formal charges before their release on 12 June 2000, after which they returned to Sweden.
Ghezali then journeyed to Medina in Saudi Arabia seeking university enrollment but was not admitted. After a brief return to Sweden in early 2001, he relocated to London where he studied at the madrasah led by Muslim cleric Omar Bakri. In summer 2001, he attempted to enroll at madrasahs in Pakistan but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, he traveled to Afghanistan and stayed with a family in Jalalabad, describing his experience as living simply while observing everyday Afghan life.
Jan Danielsson, head of Sweden’s security police, described Ghezali as a young man confused and searching for spiritual meaning rather than being involved in terrorism, emphasizing that no evidence connected him to al-Qaeda or any leadership position within the organization.
Capture and detention
Following the aerial bombardment campaign conducted by U.S. forces and the Afghan Northern Alliance in the Tora Bora region, numerous al-Qaeda affiliates escaped southward into Pakistan. Mehdi Ghezali was apprehended by regional warlords near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan and subsequently handed over to U.S. military personnel, who then transferred him to the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
In December 2002, Pakistani authorities dismissed all charges connected to his arrest at the Afghan border. He faced allegations of involvement in a prison riot in Pakistan that caused 17 fatalities, including seven prison guards, allegations which Ghezali denied.
Throughout his confinement at Guantanamo Bay, representatives from the Swedish government visited him on multiple occasions between 2002 and 2004. They informed him about legal counsel provided by Swedish lawyer Peter Althin and ongoing diplomatic negotiations. However, Ghezali reportedly declined to discuss his activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan with Swedish officials.
On 15 May 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense published a roster of detainees held at Guantanamo, listing Ghezali under detainee identification number 166 and noting Stockholm as his place of birth.
Release
After spending 930 days classified as an enemy combatant, Ghezali was released into Swedish custody on 8 July 2004. At that time, he was no longer regarded as a security threat or a source of valuable intelligence by U.S. agencies, nor had he been formally charged with any offenses in military court. The Swedish government facilitated his repatriation aboard a Gulfstream IV aircraft operated by the Swedish Air Force, with estimated expenses ranging between 500,000 and 600,000 Swedish kronor.
Initially, Swedish prosecutors considered pursuing charges related to offenses prior to his departure but ultimately abandoned those plans. Some observers felt that the government extended disproportionate support to Ghezali despite threats directed against him.
Ghezali appeared in the documentary Gitmo - The New Rules of War, directed by Erik Gandini and Tarik Saleh, which examined conditions at Guantanamo Bay.
A Boston Globe report published four months post-release indicated that Swedish intelligence agencies monitored Ghezali but did not perceive him as a threat. In his autobiography, Ghezali alleges extensive surveillance by the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO), which contributed to his experience of depression.
Statements after release
Following his release, Ghezali criticized the Swedish government for inadequate assistance and denied being informed about legal representation or any measures taken on his behalf—assertions that were contested by the Swedish foreign ministry, which cited documented meetings with him. A psychologist suggested that the psychological strain endured during detention might have influenced his memory. Ghezali recounted alleged mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay, including sleep deprivation and prolonged interrogations, and announced plans to initiate a class-action lawsuit against the United States. Together with Gösta Hultén, he authored Fånge På Guantánamo: Mehdi Ghezali berättar (Prisoner on Guantánamo: Mehdi Ghezali tells his story), detailing his experiences.
Activities in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Ghezali stated that on September 11, 2001, he was residing in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, leading a modest lifestyle without connections to al-Qaeda. At a press conference upon returning to Sweden, he expressed doubt regarding American assertions about Osama bin Laden, stating he did not know bin Laden personally and questioning the official accounts.
Subsequent appearances
On 4 July 2006, Ghezali was present at a rally held outside the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, advocating for the shutdown of Guantanamo Bay. Alongside approximately 60 participants, he expressed support for Oussama Kassir, a Swedish national detained in the Czech Republic on allegations of links to al-Qaeda. Ghezali chose not to respond to inquiries from the press.
Lawsuit dropped
It was reported that Ghezali abandoned his legal action against the U.S. government after an American law firm initially agreed to represent him but retracted their commitment shortly before the deadline to file the lawsuit.
2009 arrest and release in Pakistan
On 28 August 2009, authorities in Pakistan apprehended twelve foreign nationals—including Ghezali and two additional Swedes—in Punjab on suspicions related to al-Qaeda affiliations. Officials cited evidence such as CDs, currency transactions, and materials indicative of terrorist involvement. Police described Ghezali as "a very dangerous man." His lawyer highlighted Ghezali’s previous travels to the area and his religious pursuits.
Ghezali’s father maintained that he was undertaking a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia; reportedly, Ghezali contacted family from Saudi Arabia several days following the arrests. Swedish officials confirmed the detention of three Swedish citizens but refrained from providing further information.
By mid-September 2009, two of Ghezali’s associates were identified as Munir Awad and Safia Benaouda traveling with their child. Accusations suggested they were en route to Miranshah in Waziristan to meet a purported Taliban leader; however, Ghezali asserted their plan was to attend a gathering organized by the Muslim revivalist group Tablighi Jamaat in Lahore.
The group was freed on 10 October 2009 and returned to Sweden. Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik informed Swedish diplomats that any detention decisions would be preceded by an official report. Some reports mentioned unsubstantiated claims that they were found near a restricted nuclear facility zone. The Swedish ambassador accompanied them upon departure. At the time of release, Swedish authorities had not received an official explanation for the detention.
In November 2009, Ghezali’s legal representatives explained that during a tour of the Middle East, the group spontaneously decided to visit Pakistan, expecting to obtain visas upon arrival. They expressed concerns about ongoing monitoring by Swedish intelligence services and challenged media assertions linking their travel to Islamic extremism as lacking evidential support.
Alleged involvement in Bulgarian bombing attack
On 19 July 2012, Bulgarian media speculated that Ghezali could have been the suicide bomber responsible for the Burgas bus attack on 18 July. The Swedish Security Service quickly refuted this claim, and Bulgarian investigators excluded him as a suspect within two days.