Shahzada (Guantanamo Bay detainee 952)
Hajji Shahzada | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 Belanday, Afghanistan |
| Nationality | Afghan |
| Known for | Former Guantanamo detainee |
Hajji Shahzada is an Afghan national who experienced extrajudicial detention at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention camp located in Cuba. He was assigned the Guantanamo Internment Serial Number 952. Analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo approximate his birth year as 1959, originating from Belanday, Afghanistan.
Shahzada has a connection to detainee Abdullah Mohammad Khan, whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal file contains correspondence from Shahzada. Khan was apprehended during a visit to Shahzada.
Combatant Status Review Tribunal
The Bush administration initially argued that individuals captured in the war on terror were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions, a position that faced legal challenges. Consequently, the United States Department of Defense created the Combatant Status Review Tribunals. These tribunals were charged solely with assessing whether detainees met the administration’s criteria for "enemy combatant," without ruling on their status as lawful combatants.
Only a limited number of these tribunals were open to media observation, reflecting restricted transparency in the proceedings.
Summary of Evidence memo
On January 12, 2005, a Summary of Evidence memo was drafted for Shahzada's Combatant Status Review Tribunal. The document outlined accusations such as his involvement with al Qaida and the Taliban, employing an Intelligence Agent who had been detained, and affiliations with Abdullah Khan, a former Taliban Airfield Commander. Khan was reportedly responsible for coordinating arms transfers and planning assaults against U.S. and coalition forces. Shahzada was detained alongside Khan and two others at his home on January 29, 2003, where they were allegedly conspiring to carry out attacks.
Transcript
Shahzada took part in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal. On March 3, 2006, under a court order issued by Jed Rakoff, the United States Department of Defense released a nine-page summarized transcript of his tribunal. This was part of a larger disclosure comprising approximately 2,600 pages of Guantanamo detainee records after prolonged opposition to their release.
Determined not to have been an Enemy Combatant
According to the Washington Post, Shahzada was among 38 detainees designated as No Longer Enemy Combatants during their Combatant Status Review Tribunals. Following this determination, he was freed by the Department of Defense.