Omar Khalif Mohammed Abu Bakr Mahjour Umar
Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr Mahjour Umar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1972 Al Bayda, Libya |
| Occupation | Detainee |
| Known for | Detained at Guantanamo Bay from 2002 to 2016 without formal charges |
Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr Mahjour Umar is a Libyan national who was detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba from August 5, 2002, until April 4, 2016. His detainee identification number was 695. U.S. intelligence agencies estimate his birth year as 1972, with Al Bayda, Libya, as his place of origin.
The Miami Herald labeled him a "forever prisoner," referring to individuals whom the Guantanamo Review Task Force considered too dangerous to release or transfer but lacked adequate evidence to prosecute. According to his attorney Ramzi Kassem, Abu Bakr is blind in one eye and has shrapnel injuries on his left arm and leg resulting from a land mine explosion; additionally, he suffered severe damage to his other leg in a construction accident.
Official status reviews
During the administration of President George W. Bush, detainees captured in the "war on terror" were designated as outside the protections afforded by the Geneva Conventions, allowing indefinite detention without formal charges or transparent judicial review. Critics contended that Combatant Status Review Tribunals were prejudiced, permitted coerced testimonies, and denied detainees legal counsel.
In 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Rasul v. Bush established that Guantanamo detainees must be informed of the allegations against them and granted the right to contest their detention.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
Following this Supreme Court ruling, the United States Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants.
In December 2008, researchers at the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, classified Guantanamo detainees according to military accusations:
- Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr was accused of links to Al Qaeda, residence in Al Qaeda or Taliban safehouses, receiving military or terrorist training in Afghanistan, fighting alongside the Taliban, presence at Tora Bora, and being part of al Qaeda’s leadership structure.
- He was also identified among detainees captured under circumstances indicating hostile engagement.
- Abu Bakr was one of 82 detainees who either provided no statements during tribunals or whose statements failed to address material military allegations.
Abu Bakr did not appear at his Combatant Status Review Tribunal but directed his Personal Representative to convey that he "would rather be in the worst American jail than be a minister in my country. I want to stay here."
A four-page memorandum from the Department of Defense outlined forty main factors supporting continued detention and six factors favoring release or transfer:
- Allegations included participation and instruction at several Afghan training camps.
- Employment with one of Osama bin Laden's construction companies based in Sudan.
- Possession of a Casio F-91W digital watch, frequently cited as a sign of terrorist association.
Second Annual Administrative Review Board
On October 11, 2006, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was compiled for Omar Khalif Mohammed Abu Baker Mahjoub's second annual Administrative Review Board. This four-page document outlined twenty-four key reasons supporting his continued detention, alongside two factors advocating for his release or transfer.
- The memo detailed two separate incidents related to his leg injury: one occurring in Sudan during the early 1990s and another in Afghanistan in 1999.
- It was alleged that he had met Abu Musab Al Zarqawi on two occasions in the year 2000.
- The document also mentioned that he, along with other Arab men, resided together in Pakistan while pursuing political asylum in Europe.
Previously Classified Joint Task Force Guantanamo Assessment
On April 25, 2011, WikiLeaks released once-classified evaluations prepared by analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo. His detainee assessment spanned sixteen pages and was dated August 22, 2008. It was endorsed by camp commander Rear Admiral David M. Thomas Jr., who recommended that his detention at Guantanamo continue.
2015 Periodic Review Board Hearing
His Periodic Review Board session took place on June 23, 2015. During this hearing, officials were briefed on his purported connections to al Qaeda during its Sudanese phase in the early 1990s, as well as his potential involvement in combat against the Northern Alliance. An assisting officer characterized him as "peaceful, compliant," and noted his sense of humor. He willingly engaged with officials during Ramadan, a time dedicated to fasting and prayer. His civilian attorney emphasized that his physical injuries significantly complicated the conditions of his detention.
Transfer to the United States
On August 31, 2009, Corrections One suggested that "Omar Khalifa Mohammed Abu Bakr" was among ten detainees who might be relocated to a maximum-security facility in Standish, Michigan.
Relocation to Senegal
On April 4, 2016, Abu Bakr and fellow Libyan detainee Salem Abdul Salem Ghereby were moved to Senegal, marking the initial resettlement of Guantánamo prisoners in that nation.