Nizar Sassi
Nizar Sassi | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1, 1979 France |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay, terrorism-related trial in France |
Nizar Sassi (born August 1, 1979) is a French national who was held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, assigned Internment Serial Number 325. He was transferred to Guantanamo in 2002 and later returned to France on July 27, 2004. Following his repatriation, Sassi remained under French detention until January 9, 2006. Although initially found guilty of terrorism-related offenses in France, his conviction was eventually overturned, leading to his release in February 2009.
Sassi was employed by the Vénissieux municipal council, located near Lyon, France. According to his brother Aymen, Nizar traveled to Pakistan with the purpose of studying classical Arabic. Authorities claim that in 2001 he journeyed to Afghanistan under the guidance of a suspected al-Qaeda recruiter. Together with Mourad Benchellali, Sassi is accused of entering Afghanistan using falsified passports.
After returning to France, Sassi and four others were charged with terrorism offenses. Their convictions were annulled in 2009 due to the use of interviews conducted by French intelligence agents who lacked proper law enforcement authorization. On February 17, 2010, the Court of Cassation mandated a retrial for the five individuals.
Mourad Benchellali's McClatchy interview
On June 15, 2008, the McClatchy News Service released a series of articles featuring interviews with 66 former detainees from Guantanamo, including Mourad Benchellali in France. Mourad recounted how he and Nizar had been deceived by his elder brother Menad Benchellali into traveling to Afghanistan. The reality of the country starkly contrasted with their expectations. Despite lacking fluency in Pashto, Dari, or Arabic, they encountered some Algerians who recommended attending a religious training camp.
He depicted the camp as heavily focused on prayer sessions, lectures on jihad, physical exercise, and limited weapons instruction without actual firearms. To leave prematurely, they pretended to be ill; eventually, Nizar genuinely became sick and lost approximately 45 pounds. Mourad later reconnected with Nizar and sought assistance from Algerians to facilitate their departure from Afghanistan. They were instructed to wait for arrangements; however, a US military offensive disrupted their plans.
French trial
In 2007, Nizar Sassi along with four other French nationals were convicted for "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise." Their convictions were overturned on February 24, 2009, as they were based on interrogations carried out at Guantanamo by French intelligence agents rather than authorized law enforcement personnel.
Lawsuit against American officials
Sassi and Mourad Benchellali filed lawsuits against senior American officials concerning torture they suffered. Retired General Geoffrey D. Miller, former Guantanamo commandant and key figure behind abuses at Abu Ghraib, was summoned to testify but failed to appear. Their attorney, William Bourdon, characterized Miller’s absence as "a twofold act of defiance towards the French judiciary; he declined both to testify and to clarify his role along with that of the US administration." In contrast, William Haynes, former Pentagon Chief Legal Counsel, provided testimony in October 2016.
Bibliography
- Ich war in Guantanamo gefangen – Die Erzählung eines ehemaligen Häftlings, Heyne, München, 2006
- Nizar Sassi: Gefangener 325, Delta Camp. Einaudi, Torino, 2006
- Nizar Sassi: Guantanamo, Gefangener 325, Delta Camp. Edaf S.A., Juli 2006
- Nizar Sassi: Häftling 325: Dokumentation aus dem Guantánamo-Lager Oslo, Aschehoug, 2006