Muhammad Rahim al Afghani
Muhammad Rahim | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 Eastern Afghanistan |
| Occupation(s) | Taliban aide, detainee |
| Known for | Detained at Guantanamo Bay; alleged aide to Osama bin Laden |
Muhammad Rahim (born in 1965) is an Afghan citizen currently held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay. Originating from eastern Afghanistan, he was employed by a government committee dedicated to eliminating opium poppy cultivation until the Taliban compelled his departure. In 1979, following the Soviet invasion, he escaped Afghanistan alongside his brother.[1]
In 2007, The Nation reported that Pakistani security forces apprehended Rahim together with Sheikh Ilyas Khel.[2] Rahim was identified as "Osama bin Laden's special aide," playing a role in negotiations with commanders appointed by the Afghan government in early 2002.
Pakistani authorities transferred Rahim to the custody of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for questioning about his connections to the Taliban. While detained by the CIA, he was subjected to sleep deprivation and other severe interrogation techniques under the Rendition, Detention and Interrogation (RDI) Program.[3] He is noted as the final detainee admitted into the CIA’s RDI program.[4]
After enduring months of CIA interrogation and torture, Rahim was moved to Guantanamo Bay in March 2008, where he continues to be held without judicial process. The CIA characterized him as a "resilient and experienced jihadist," accused of assisting Osama bin Laden’s escape and acting as his interpreter and aide.[5] Despite spending over five years at Guantanamo, he has not been formally charged, nor are there plans for a military commission trial. The Periodic Review Secretariat has not recommended his release, designating him as a "forever prisoner" excluded from prisoner exchange programs.[5][6][7]
On 14 March 2008, the United States Department of Defense announced Rahim’s transfer into military custody. According to Agence France-Presse:[7]
Captured in Lahore, Pakistan, in June 2007, Rahim remained in CIA detention until approximately 28 March 2008 when he was moved to Guantanamo.[6][8]
The Pentagon classified him among high value detainees, alongside others transferred from CIA control since 2006. The official statement declared:
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At Guantanamo, Rahim is confined within Camp 7, designated for detainees considered high value by U.S. authorities.[9] He has not undergone formal indictment or appeared before any court.[9] In November 2008, the New York Times released a database summarizing official detainee documents; however, no Combatant Status Review Tribunal records have been made public for him.[10][11]
In 2002, the BBC reported that an individual named "Mohammed Rahim" served as driver for Taliban leader Mullah Omar and described Omar’s evasion of two U.S. missile strikes.[12] Rahim recounted transporting Omar and his family moments before their vehicle was hit.
Rahim’s legal counsel, Carlos Warner from Akron, Ohio, has emphasized that Rahim remains shackled during meetings and has submitted a habeas corpus petition highlighting his prolonged detention without charges.[13]
Reports on "extended interrogation methods"
In August 2009, documents previously classified regarding the CIA's application of enhanced interrogation methods were made public following requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
On 27 August 2009, the Associated Press disclosed that in late 2007, the CIA had subjected a detainee to prolonged sleep deprivation and restrained him by chaining him to the floors and walls of his cell. Although the individual’s identity was not revealed, Al-Afghani was the sole detainee known to be held by the CIA during that timeframe. Despite the Bush administration's official discontinuation of these practices, an exception was granted under legal authorization. The detainee’s hands were secured above chest height.
References
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTheNation2007-02 - ↑ See Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reports
- ↑ See SSCI at 143
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNYTimesGuantanamoDocketStart2008-11 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNYTimesGuantanamoDocketIsn10030 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedBbc20020122 - ↑ The Guantanamo Docket," The New York Times