Sami al-Hajj
Sami Al-Haj | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 15, 1969 Khartoum, Sudan |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay; work with Al Jazeera |
Sami Mohy El Din Muhammed Al Hajj (), commonly known as Sami Al-Haj (born February 15, 1969, in Khartoum, Sudan), is a Sudanese journalist affiliated with the Al Jazeera organization. In 2001, while traveling to Afghanistan to perform camerawork for Al Jazeera, he was detained by the Pakistani army and subsequently held at the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camp for more than six years. He was released without any charges on May 1, 2008. Following his release, Al Hajj authored the book Prisoner 345 and pursued legal action against former US President George W. Bush.
His story was featured in the Al Jazeera documentary Prisoner 345, produced by Ahmad Ibrahim.
Background
On December 15, 2001, Al Hajj was apprehended in Pakistan while en route to Afghanistan with a valid visa, serving as a cameraman for Al Jazeera. At Guantanamo, he was assigned Internment Serial Number 345 and labeled an "enemy combatant", making him the sole journalist ever detained at the facility.
Human rights attorney Clive Stafford Smith from the UK acted as his legal representative and reported that Al Hajj suffered harsh mistreatment, including physical assaults and religious discrimination. Stafford Smith indicated that US authorities subjected Al Hajj to intense interrogation focused on alleged connections between Al Jazeera and al-Qaeda, pressuring him to implicate the network.
Al Jazeera clarified that Al Hajj had reported his passport stolen in Sudan in 1999, implying any misuse of his identity documents was due to theft.
Throughout his imprisonment, advocacy groups such as Reporters Without Borders actively campaigned for his freedom by featuring his case in their Worldwide Press Freedom Index and organizing petitions.
Beginning in January 2007, Al Hajj participated in a hunger strike protesting conditions at Guantanamo. He lost over 55 pounds before being subjected to force-feeding. The strike persisted for 438 days until his release in May 2008.
After BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston was kidnapped in March 2007, Al Hajj appealed publicly for Johnston’s release; Johnston later supported calls for Al Hajj’s liberation during his own captivity.
Interrogation
On April 20, 2007, excerpts from Clive Stafford Smith's book Bad Men: Guantanamo Bay and the Secret Prisons were published by the UK newspaper The Guardian. Stafford Smith disclosed that despite undergoing more than 100 interrogation sessions, US military interrogators never questioned Sami Al Hajj regarding accusations against him. Instead, they concentrated on attempting to recruit him as an informant against Al Jazeera. It was only at Al Hajj’s insistence that they addressed the allegations.
Health and hunger strike
Al Hajj had been treated for throat cancer in 1998 and required ongoing medication, which he claimed was withheld by Guantanamo authorities. Additionally, he was denied a knee brace due to its metal components being deemed a security risk.
On January 7, 2007, he initiated a hunger strike with several demands:
- Freedom to observe his religion without restriction
- Enforcement of Geneva Convention protections for detainees
- Release of prisoners held in solitary confinement, particularly Shakir Amer
- Comprehensive inquiry into the deaths of three detainees in June 2006
- Either his release or a trial conducted in a US federal court
Zachary Katznelson, senior counsel at Reprieve, visited Al Hajj on February 1, 2007; however, US officials did not confirm whether he was participating in the hunger strike at that time.
By August 2007, Clive Stafford Smith noted significant deterioration in Al Hajj’s health, mentioning weakness and difficulty concentrating. In September, Stafford Smith reported that Al Hajj feared death and losing proficiency in English. According to Al Jazeera reports, he experienced depression and diminished will to survive. By October 2007, since commencing the hunger strike, he had shed more than 55 pounds.
Guantanamo detainee file
On 26 April 2011, a confidential document concerning Al Hajj's detention at Guantanamo Bay was disclosed. This report, dated 4 April 2008, identified Al Hajj as a high-risk detainee with "direct connections to Al-Qaida, the al-Haramayn NGO, and Taleban leadership."
The document indicated that Al Hajj "acknowledged sending supplies and transferring funds to Chechnya" but remained "uncooperative about his involvement in supporting terrorist groups." It also noted he was "cautious to avoid self-incrimination as a member of an extremist group or engaging with extremists beyond conducting interviews in his capacity as a journalist."
The reasons cited for his transfer included:
Combatant Status Review Tribunal
Clive Stafford Smith provided a summary of the allegations presented during Al Hajj's Combatant Status Review Tribunal:
According to Al Jazeera, U.S. officials classified Al Hajj as an "enemy combatant," with accusations involving:
- Traveling covertly to regions including the Middle East, Balkans, and Caucasus.
- Managing a website that promoted terrorist activities.
- Participating in the sale of Stinger missiles to Chechen insurgents.
- Illegally entering Afghanistan.
- Conducting an interview with Osama bin Laden (a charge later dropped).
Ahmad Ibrahim, who appeared alongside Al Hajj in the documentary Prisoner 345, refuted all these allegations.
Subsequent Administrative Review Boards
On 23 February 2007, an Administrative Review Board convened to reassess Al Hajj's detention status. He was not included among the eighty detainees recommended for release or transfer during that session.
Colleagues at Al Jazeera perceived his detention as part of U.S. efforts to intimidate an Arabic news outlet whose reporting has frequently provoked U.S. authorities. Analyst Lamis Andoni observed that the repeated bombings targeting Al Jazeera offices suggested a deliberate pattern rather than isolated events.
Paul Rester, head of the Joint Intelligence Group, acknowledged that information extracted from Al Hajj was valuable but refrained from providing specifics.
At his initial Administrative Review Board hearing, Al Hajj chose not to address the allegations based on legal counsel. His attorney, Clive Stafford Smith, emphasized that Al Hajj was not a secret courier but had once transported $220,000 declared to customs on behalf of his employer. He also recounted meeting Mamdouh Mahmud Salim once in 1998 during his employment with a beverage company, where they discussed topics such as schools and housing while traveling together.
Release negotiation and release
On 15 August 2007, a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of State confirmed that Al Hajj was held as an enemy combatant linked to conflicts involving al Qaida and associated groups. His detention underwent annual reviews by an Administrative Review Board evaluating potential threats. The Deputy Secretary of Defense had determined continued detention was necessary, with legal provisions under the Detainee Treatment Act allowing him to contest his status. The State Department declined to comment on possible transfers or releases prior to any official action.
That same day, Sudanese Foreign Ministry representative Ali Sadiq acknowledged receiving communication from U.S. officials indicating a final decision regarding Al Hajj's case was forthcoming. Sudan assured the United States that Al Hajj was an ordinary citizen without extremist ties and would not present any security risks if freed.
Sami Al Hajj was released on 1 May 2008 and transported back to Sudan, arriving in Khartoum on 2 May. Video footage depicted him appearing weak but smiling amid supporters welcoming him upon arrival.
Life after Guantánamo Bay
Following his release, al-Hajj declared his intention to initiate legal action against George W. Bush and other officials responsible for his detention at Guantánamo. He played a key role in establishing the Guantánamo Justice Centre to aid in these legal pursuits, later clarifying that the organisation operated without outside financial support. He returned to Al Jazeera, where he took charge of reporting on issues related to civil rights and human rights.
Public appeal to President Biden
On January 29, 2021, an open letter authored by al-Hajj alongside six other former detainees of Guantánamo was featured in the New York Review of Books. The letter called upon President Joe Biden to shut down the detention camp.
See also
External links
- From Guantánamo to Desk at Al Jazeera, The New York Times, December 22, 2009
- Amnesty International case sheet
- Aljazeera Guantanamo inmate 'abused', Al Jazeera, June 22, 2005
- Aljazeera interview with lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith, Al Jazeera, October 26, 2005
- Robert Fisk interview about Sami mp3 download
- Sami al-Haj: the banned torture pictures of a journalist in Guantánamo Andy Worthington
- An interview with Sami al-Haj, former Guantánamo prisoner and al-Jazeera journalist Andy Worthington
- Sami al-Haj: "Torture is terrorism" Andy Worthington