Sabir Mahfouz Lahmar
Sabir Mahfouz Lahmar | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 22, 1969 Constantine, Algeria |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay, habeas corpus petition success |
Sabir Mahfouz Lahmar (born May 22, 1969) holds dual Bosnian and French citizenship and successfully challenged his detention through a habeas corpus petition in a United States federal court after being held for more than eight years at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
Although he was apprehended in Bosnia and Herzegovina in January 2002 and subsequently cleared by the Bosnian Supreme Court, Lahmar was transferred to Guantanamo on January 21, 2002. He was freed in 2009 following France’s agreement to accept him; his relocation to France occurred on November 30, 2009, and he currently lives in Bordeaux.
Early life
Lahmar was born into a Muslim family in Constantine, Algeria, and completed his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah. He was employed by the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an aid agency that was shut down in October 2001 amid allegations of connections to Islamist terrorism.
Combatant Status Review
Approximately 60% of detainees took part in their tribunal hearings, including Lahmar. For each detainee, a Summary of Evidence memorandum was created to outline the allegations.
The memo prepared for Lahmar listed the following accusations:
Administrative Review Board
Prisoners designated as "enemy combatants" by their Combatant Status Review Tribunal were subject to annual Administrative Review Board sessions aimed at evaluating the potential risk they posed if released or transferred, as well as factors justifying continued detention.
Lahmar engaged in his Administrative Review Board hearing.
Habeas corpus proceedings and release
Lahmar was one of six Algerian nationals whose habeas corpus petitions advanced to the United States Supreme Court. In 2008, the Court’s decision in Boumediene v. Bush affirmed that detainees—including non-citizens—possess constitutional rights to contest their imprisonment. The cases were remanded to the US District Court for further consideration.
In September 2008, Judge Richard J. Leon reviewed Lahmar’s habeas petition and determined there was no evidence supporting his classification as an "enemy combatant," ordering his release. Comparable rulings were issued for four other Bosnian nationals of Algerian origin.
On November 30, 2009, Lahmar was transferred to France for release. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs pledged assistance with his social reintegration. According to the Washington Post, Judge Leon’s ruling mandated Lahmar’s prompt release.
Alongside Lahmar, three additional detainees were relocated: a Palestinian detainee sent to Hungary (with undisclosed status) and two Tunisians, Adel Ben Mabrouk and Mohamed Ben Riadh Nasri, transferred to Italy where they faced terrorism-related trials.
Subsequent developments
In May 2017, Lahmar was apprehended in Bordeaux, suspected of participating in an alleged ISIL recruitment network.
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
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- 1969 births
- Living people
- Algerian emigrants to Bosnia and Herzegovina
- People from Constantine, Algeria
- Guantanamo detainees known to have been released
- People subject to extraordinary rendition by the United States
- Combatant Status Review Tribunals
- Bosnia and Herzegovina people of Algerian descent
- Islamic University of Madinah alumni
- Algerian extrajudicial prisoners of the United States
- Bosnia and Herzegovina extrajudicial prisoners of the United States