Ravil Mingazov
Ravil Kamilevich Mingazov | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 5, 1967 Ust-Bolsheretskiy, Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Former ballet dancer, Soviet military serviceman, detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay (2002–2017) |
Ravil Kamilevich Mingazov (; born December 5, 1967) is a Russian national who was subjected to extrajudicial detention for almost fifteen years at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba. According to Department of Defense records, his place of birth is Ust-Bolsheretskiy, Russia.
Mingazov was transferred to Guantanamo on October 28, 2002, and remained in custody until January 19, 2017. An ethnic Tatar by heritage, he previously worked as a ballet dancer before serving in the Soviet military. Facing anti-Muslim discrimination, he left Russia for Tajikistan in the year 2000.
He received approval for transfer on July 21, 2016, and was eventually moved to the United Arab Emirates on January 19, 2017.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
Researchers at the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, compiled a classification of Guantanamo detainees in December 2008 based on prevalent military accusations:
- Ravil Mingazov was alleged to have ties with Al Qaeda.
- It was claimed he resided in guesthouses linked to Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or other groups.
- He was accused of undergoing military or terrorist training within Afghanistan.
- The circumstances surrounding his capture indicated hostile activity.
- He was designated as an "al Qaeda operative."
- He confessed to certain associations, including staying at Taliban or Al Qaeda guesthouses or participating in training camps.
- He admitted involvement in some form of affiliative conduct.
Writ of habeas corpus
On May 13, 2010, US District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr. issued an order directing the Obama administration to release Mingazov via a writ of habeas corpus. This represented the thirty-fifth instance where a judge mandated release, while detention continued in thirteen other cases.
Nevertheless, this release order was subsequently overturned by a Washington DC appellate court panel.
Formerly secret JTF-GTMO assessment
On April 25, 2011, the whistleblower group WikiLeaks disclosed classified evaluations conducted by Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Mingazov’s nine-page report advocated for his continued detention under Department of Defense authority and bore the signature of camp commander Mark H. Buzby.
Guantanamo Joint Task Force Review
Following his inauguration on January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama signed Executive Orders aimed at closing Guantanamo and formed a Guantanamo Review Task Force to succeed OARDEC. In October 2013, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed by Carol Rosenberg and colleagues from the Miami Herald resulted in the publication of a list detailing "final dispositions". This document indicated that Ravil Mingazov had been "referred for prosecution".
Repatriation discussions
Russian representatives planned to visit Guantanamo on January 17, 2014, to engage with Mingazov. Dolgov noted that this visit intended to advocate for the facility’s closure but had been postponed due to unresolved terms for access with US authorities. Previously, in April 2013, a Russian delegation’s request to meet him was denied after Mingazov declined their meeting.
Asylum in the United Kingdom
According to a November 2015 report by The Guardian, Mingazov’s former spouse and teenage son had moved to the United Kingdom and submitted an asylum request on his behalf. They had arrived in the UK in 2014 and currently live with other family members.
Transfer to the United Arab Emirates
Mingazov was part of the final group of four detainees relocated from Guantanamo Bay prior to the conclusion of President Barack Obama’s administration. On January 19, 2017, he was transferred to the United Arab Emirates along with Afghan detainee Wali Mohammed and Yemeni detainee Yassim Qasim Mohammed Ismail Qasim. Another detainee, Jabran al-Qahtani, was sent back to Saudi Arabia shortly before Donald Trump took office, despite Trump’s commitment to stopping all Guantanamo transfers.
Repatriation
On August 7, 2024, Mingazov was returned to Russia.
External links
- Judge Orders Release from Guantánamo of Russian Caught in Abu Zubaydah’s Web Andy Worthington May 19, 2010
- Two Massachusetts Towns Welcome Guantánamo Detainee Ordered Released by a Federal Judge Common Dreams NewsCenter May 14, 2010
- Guantanamo Prisoner's Mother Says Son Fears Returning To Russia Radio Free Europe May 18, 2010
- Human Rights First; Habeas Works: Federal Courts’ Proven Capacity to Handle Guantánamo Cases (2010)