Saad Madhi Saad Howash Al Azmi
Saad Madi Saad al Azmi | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 29, 1979 Doha, Kuwait |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay without formal charges; repatriation to Kuwait in 2005 |
Saad Madi Saad al Azmi (born May 29, 1979) is a citizen of Kuwait who was detained without formal charges at the United States Guantánamo Bay detainment camp in Cuba. He was returned to Kuwait on November 4, 2005. According to analysts from the Joint Task Force Guantanamo, his place of birth is listed as Doha, Kuwait.
Repatriation
On November 4, 2005, al-Azmi, along with four other detainees, was sent back to Kuwait. All five individuals subsequently underwent legal proceedings in a Kuwaiti court and were ultimately found not guilty.
The Associated Press reported that the primary accusations involved financing Al Wafa, an Afghan-based charity associated with al-Qaeda, and participating in combat alongside the Taliban. Prosecutors argued that these activities posed a threat to Kuwait's political reputation and its international diplomatic relations.
The defense maintained that statements collected at Guantanamo should be excluded from evidence in Kuwaiti courts because they lacked signatures from both detainees and interrogators. Additionally, they asserted that the U.S. government's allegations did not amount to offenses under Kuwaiti legislation.
McClatchy interview
On June 15, 2008, the McClatchy News Service published a series of articles featuring interviews with 66 former detainees from Guantanamo, including Saad Madi al Azmi.[1] McClatchy highlighted discrepancies between his interview account and his earlier statements during the Combatant Status Review Tribunal. Al Azmi denied ever traveling to Afghanistan and stated he was apprehended in his hotel room in Pakistan by Pakistani police in August 2001. He was detained alongside Adel al Zamel, who was reportedly captured in Peshawar in January 2002. Al Azmi explained that his purpose for traveling to Pakistan was to import honey.
At the time of his capture, his visa had expired.[1] Expecting only a short detention period, he refused to comply with a bribe request from a Pakistani officer, which resulted in an extended incarceration. This occurred shortly before the al Qaeda attacks on September 11, 2001, after which it became financially beneficial for Pakistani authorities to transfer him into U.S. custody.
Al Azmi also recounted experiencing physical abuse while held at both the Kandahar detention facility and the Bagram Theater Internment Facility.[1]