Tariq al-Sawah
Tariq Mahmud Ahmad Muhammad al-Sawah | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 2, 1957 Egypt |
| Occupation | Former detainee |
| Known for | Detention at Guantanamo Bay detention camp |
Tariq Mahmud Ahmad Muhammad al-Sawah (born November 2, 1957) is an Egyptian national who was held at the United States Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba from May 2002 until January 2016.
He was charged with war crimes, but these charges were dismissed on March 1, 2012. According to the Egypt Independent, confidential materials from the Joint Task Force Guantanamo leaked by WikiLeaks in 2011 challenged the validity of the accusations against al-Sawah.
Background
Al-Sawah was transferred to the Guantanamo detention facility on May 5, 2002, and remained in custody for a total of 5,008 days, until January 20, 2016.[1][2][3]
As reported by The Long War Journal, al-Sawah joined the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in 1981 and was detained during the government crackdown following the assassination of Anwar Sadat.[4] He was characterized as an expert bomb-maker trained by Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah, associated with a notable bombing incident, and credited with creating an early version of a shoe-bomb and developing magnetic limpet-mine devices in 2001.[4]
Nonetheless, FBI investigations contradicted these claims of his bomb-making skills, attributing them to inaccuracies stemming from inexperienced military interrogators.[5][6] Tom Dale of the Egyptian Independent highlighted a "disregard for both fact and coherence" in U.S. interrogation reports.[5]
It has been reported that numerous detainee confessions were obtained through torture mandated by Pentagon policies; former commanders at Guantanamo reportedly viewed al-Sawah as non-threatening and recommended his release.[7]
The Washington Post noted that al-Sawah and fellow detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi were kept separately and granted additional privileges due to their cooperation with intelligence personnel.[8]
By August 2012, al-Sawah was the sole remaining Egyptian detainee at Guantanamo.[4][9]
Before his capture, al-Sawah sustained severe injuries from a cluster bomb and gained more than 200 pounds during his initial four years of detention.[8][10]
Official status reviews
Initially, the Bush Administration maintained that individuals captured during the "war on terror" were not protected under the Geneva Conventions, allowing indefinite detention without formal charges or transparent hearings. However, in 2004, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Rasul v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo must be informed of accusations against them and permitted to contest their detention.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
In response to this decision, the United States Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants.[11]
In December 2008, researchers at the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, classified detainees according to military allegations:[12]
- Tariq Mahmud Ahmad Muhammad al-Sawah was accused of being affiliated with Al Qaeda, traveling to Afghanistan for jihadist purposes, receiving military or terrorist training there, and identified as a foreign combatant.[12]
- He was listed among 36 detainees who openly admitted membership or substantial association with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or other groups hostile toward the United States and acknowledged fighting on their behalf.[12]
Al-Sawah has consistently refuted all such allegations, denying any involvement with Al Qaeda, traveling to Afghanistan for jihadist activities, undergoing terrorist training, harboring hostility toward the United States, or engaging in combat on behalf of Al Qaeda.[5][13]
Habeas Corpus Petition
In June 2005, a habeas corpus petition was submitted on behalf of al-Sawah.
Previously Classified Joint Task Force Guantanamo Evaluation
On April 25, 2011, WikiLeaks released confidential evaluations prepared by analysts from the Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Included was a fourteen-page report concerning al-Sawah, dated September 30, 2008. This document, signed by the camp commander David M. Thomas Jr., recommended his "Transfer Out of DOD Control." The assessment identified al-Sawah as a detainee with significant health risks but described his overall condition as fair.
Joint Review Task Force
When President Barack Obama assumed office in January 2009, he vowed to end the use of torture at Guantanamo and establish a new detainee review mechanism. This new process differed from the prior system, which was managed solely by the Department of Defense, by involving representatives from six government departments. One year later, the Joint Review Task Force designated a group of detainees as too dangerous to release despite insufficient evidence to charge them formally. The list of these detainees was disclosed on April 9, 2013, following a FOIA request.
Tariq Mahmud Ahmad Muhammad al-Sawah was among the 71 detainees classified as too risky for release but lacking charges. Although President Obama promised regular reviews for such individuals, fewer than 25% have undergone these evaluations. Ultimately, al-Sawah received approval for transfer on February 12, 2015.
Charges Before a Guantanamo Military Commission
On December 16, 2008, military prosecutors at Guantanamo filed charges against Tariq al-Sawah. These allegations were later dismissed on March 1, 2012. His legal representation was provided by Major Sean Gleason, an active-duty Judge Advocate.
Medical Concerns
Documents indicate that al-Sawah experienced notable variations in body weight during his detention. In March 2013, his legal team arranged for Dr. Sondra Crosby—an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine and Public Health—to conduct two medical examinations. Dr. Crosby’s correspondence highlighted that his morbid obesity presented significant health dangers; however, camp officials refused to grant special accommodations or release his medical records.
Transfer and Resettlement
Al-Sawah was released in January 2016 after Bosnia and Herzegovina agreed to accept him.
External links
- For two detainees who told what they knew, Guantanamo becomes a gilded cage The Washington Post, March 24, 2010
- Who Are the Remaining Prisoners in Guantánamo? Part Two: Captured in Afghanistan (2001) Andy Worthington, September 17, 2010
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