Mohammed Saghir
Mohammed Saghir | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 Kohistan District, Pakistan |
| Known for | Former detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention camp |
Mohammed Saghir (also spelled Mohammed Sanghir) is a Pakistani citizen who was held by the U.S. military at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. His assigned Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 143. Analysts from the Joint Task Force Guantanamo estimate his birth year as 1952, originating from Kohistan District, Pakistan.
After his release, The Guardian conducted an interview with Saghir on 22 October 2002, estimating his age to be in the sixties. He was among the initial four detainees to be freed from Guantanamo and notably was the first Pakistani released. Alongside him, two elderly Afghan detainees and one younger Afghan were also released.
Guantanamo documents
Prior to his release, no official documents regarding Mr. Saghir had been made public since his departure occurred before the commencement of the Combatant Status Review Tribunal process.
On 25 April 2011, the whistleblower group WikiLeaks disclosed confidential assessments prepared by analysts at Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Saghir’s two-page evaluation, dated 27 September 2002 and signed by camp commander Michael E. Dunlavey, recommended either his release or transfer to another nation’s authority.
Historian Andy Worthington, author of The Guantanamo Files, highlighted that the justification for Saghir’s detention was based on his knowledge of General Dostum’s treatment of prisoners moved from Kunduz to Sheberghan. Worthington criticized this reasoning as a low point, emphasizing that U.S. forces detained Saghir primarily to investigate alleged mistreatment by an allied force.
Suing the USA
Saghir initiated a lawsuit seeking $10.4 million in damages against the United States, citing torture and mistreatment during his captivity. He alleges that he was promised financial compensation upon his release. In September 2012, he reminded The Express Tribune that President Barack Obama had not fulfilled his commitment to close Guantanamo.
Le Monde interview
Saghir is reported to still wear the green identification bracelet issued at Camp Delta, marked with the number US 9PK 0001 43 DP.
According to an article in Le Monde, Saghir was present in Afghanistan three months prior to the attacks on September 11, 2001. He was captured in Kunduz along with approximately 250 others and transported inside a shipping container to General Dostum’s prison located at Sheberghan, where harsh conditions caused the deaths of fifty detainees.
He remained detained at Sheberghan for 45 days before undergoing interrogation. During this time, he was forcibly shaved and subsequently flown to Guantanamo, where he and other captives were beaten while still restrained.
At Guantanamo, Saghir endured twenty interrogation sessions focused on uncovering al-Qaeda members and connections to bin Laden:
McClatchy News Service interview
On 15 June 2008, the McClatchy News Service released articles based on interviews with 66 former Guantanamo detainees, including a profile of Saghir.
Upon returning home, he discovered that his family had accumulated debts amounting to 1.2 million rupees during his detention—incurred while searching for his body and sustaining themselves without his financial support. He acknowledged traveling to Afghanistan with a group affiliated with the Tablighi Jamaat, a non-political religious organization that U.S. counter-terrorism officials have linked to terrorism.
Saghir stated that he was apprehended alongside refugees rather than combatants and transported in a metal shipping container to General Dostum’s Sherberghan prison. He witnessed numerous deaths among detainees there and described experiencing religious persecution during his time at Guantanamo. Additionally, he took part in a hunger strike and was subjected to force-feeding.
Pakistan Observer Interview
On 8 March 2012, the Pakistan Observer featured an interview with Saghir.[1] During the discussion, he conveyed that none of the detainees were aware of the individuals responsible for orchestrating the 9/11 attacks. Additionally, he denied any personal knowledge of the World Trade Center events, Osama, or Al-Qaeda.
Saghir also disclosed incidents of sexual harassment by female American military personnel while he was in custody.[1]
See also
- Mohammed Sadiq, another senior Guantanamo detainee
- Haji Faiz Mohammed, elderly detainee at Guantanamo