Ridah Bin Saleh Al Yazidi
Ridah Bin Saleh Bin Mabrouk Al Yazidi | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 24, 1965 Tunisia |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay without formal charges |
Ridah Bin Saleh Bin Mabrouk Al Yazidi (born January 24, 1965) is a Tunisian national who was detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba, starting from its inception on January 11, 2002.
Official status reviews
During the Bush administration, it was initially declared that individuals captured in the "war on terror" were not protected under the Geneva Conventions and could be held indefinitely without formal charges or transparent judicial review. Critics argued that the Combatant Status Review Tribunals were inherently biased, permitting coerced testimonies and denying detainees legal representation. In 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Rasul v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo must be informed of the accusations against them and given an opportunity to contest their detention.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
In response to the Supreme Court decision, the Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants to carry out these mandated reviews.
By December 2008, researchers at the Brookings Institution, under Benjamin Wittes’s leadership, classified detainees according to military allegations:
- Ridah Bin Saleh Bin Mabrouk Al Yazidi was not listed as approved for release or transfer.
- Alleged affiliation with the Taliban.
- Alleged travel to Afghanistan for purposes related to jihad.
- Alleged residence in safehouses linked to Al Qaeda, Taliban, or similar groups.
- Alleged receipt of military or terrorist training within Afghanistan.
- Alleged participation in combat for the Taliban.
- Alleged presence at Tora Bora.
- Captured under circumstances indicative of hostile engagement.
- Identified as an operative of al Qaeda.
- Among 82 detainees who either made no statements or provided irrelevant testimony during tribunal hearings.
Habeas corpus petitions
Al Yazidi’s initial habeas corpus petition was consolidated with that of David Hicks (Civil Action No. 02-cv-0299). Although unclassified documents from Combatant Status Review Tribunals were published for 179 detainees, those pertaining to Al Yazidi were withheld by the Bush administration without any stated reason.
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 suspended Guantanamo detainees’ access to U.S. civil courts, effectively pausing all pending habeas corpus petitions. Nevertheless, on June 12, 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in Boumediene v. Bush that this law could not deny detainees their right to challenge their detention in federal courts, permitting habeas petitions to resume.
Following this ruling, Al Yazidi’s legal representatives filed motions to reactivate his petition. On July 7, 2008, Brent N. Rushforth submitted a "PETITIONER’S UNOPPOSED MOTION TO ENTER PROTECTIVE ORDER" on his behalf.
Formerly secret Joint Task Force Guantanamo assessment
WikiLeaks released classified assessments from Joint Task Force Guantanamo analysts on April 25, 2011. Included was Al Yazidi’s evaluation dated June 6, 2007, signed by camp commander Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, who recommended that his detention continue.
Joint Review Task Force
On January 21, 2009, President Barack Obama signed executive orders establishing a new review mechanism that included representatives from six different departments, replacing the previous Department of Defense-exclusive OARDEC evaluations. This Joint Review Task Force designated certain detainees as too high-risk for transfer despite lacking sufficient evidence to formally charge them.
The task force's conclusions were disclosed on April 9, 2013, following a Freedom of Information Act request. Among the 126 individuals authorized for transfer was Al Yazidi.
Status during the Donald Trump administration
In the final year of President Obama’s term, efforts to relocate detainees intensified. Nevertheless, according to reports from the Washington Post, Al Yazidi was one of five detainees cleared for release who remained detained at Guantanamo when Donald Trump assumed office. During his campaign, Trump vowed to stop further releases and expand detention operations at Guantanamo. Although officials under Obama arranged for a country willing to accept Al Yazidi, he refused the resettlement options presented.
Release
Al Yazidi was repatriated to Tunisia on December 30, 2024.