Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail
Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979 Ibb, Yemen |
| Occupation | Detainee at Guantanamo Bay detention facility |
| Known for | Detained at Guantanamo Bay without formal charges; alleged ties to Al Qaeda; hunger striker |
Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail () is a Yemeni citizen currently held without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. His assigned Guantanamo Internment Serial Number is 522. Analysts from Joint Task Force Guantanamo estimate his birth year as 1979, with his place of origin identified as Ibb, Yemen.
Ismail was transferred to Guantanamo on May 20, 2002, and remained in custody for almost fifteen years. He was authorized for release in December 2016 and subsequently relocated to the United Arab Emirates in January 2017.
Variations in Identification
On March 11, 2007, the Yemen Times reported that a Yemeni individual named Sadeq Mohammed Ismail, also born in Ibb, was among those Yemenis approved for release. However, official records do not list a detainee under that precise name. Instead, two detainees with similar names are recorded:
- Sadeq Muhammad Sa'id Ismail, originating from Jabal Haimain, Yemen, not Ibb.
- Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail, who is from Ibb but whose name differs more substantially.
Formal Status Assessments
During the Bush administration, it was initially claimed that individuals detained in the war on terror were not entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions and could be held indefinitely without formal charges or transparent legal proceedings. This position was challenged in 2004 when the United States Supreme Court ruled in Rasul v. Bush that detainees at Guantanamo must be informed of the accusations against them and granted an opportunity to contest their detention.
Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants
In response to the Supreme Court's ruling, the Department of Defense created the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants to oversee detainees' status reviews.
In December 2008, researchers at the Brookings Institution, led by Benjamin Wittes, organized detainees into categories based on military allegations:
- Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail was alleged to have ties with Al Qaeda.
- He was accused of residing in safehouses affiliated with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or other groups.
- He was charged with receiving military or terrorist training within Afghanistan.
- He was reported to have been present at Tora Bora.
- His name or known aliases appeared on documents seized from Al Qaeda locations.
- He was identified as a foreign combatant.
- While denying membership in Al Qaeda or Taliban forces, he admitted to facts warranting detention under wartime laws.
- He acknowledged undergoing training at camps run by Al Qaeda or Taliban forces.
Ismail took part in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal. During his initial statement, he sought guarantees against torture and asserted that previous confessions were false and made solely to end torture.
Habeas corpus petition
A writ of habeas corpus was filed on Ismail's behalf; however, after extensive delays spanning several years, it was ultimately rejected in 2010.
Previously confidential Joint Task Force Guantanamo evaluation
On April 25, 2011, the whistleblower organization WikiLeaks released classified documents from analysts at Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Among these was a 12-page evaluation of Ismail dated November 10, 2008, which bore the signature of camp commander Rear Admiral David M. Thomas Jr. and recommended that his detention continue.
Event of January 7, 2009
The Christian Science Monitor reported on February 23, 2009, presenting divergent narratives regarding an altercation between Ismail and facility personnel. During an exercise period, Ismail asked to be moved to an area exposed to sunlight but was reportedly told, "You are not allowed to see the Sun." According to his attorney David Remes, following a disagreement, Ismail threw a sandal at the perimeter fence and was confined in the pen for several hours until nightfall. Subsequently, he was allegedly subjected to physical assault, restrained with shackles, choked, and had urine poured over his head by the camp's "immediate reaction force." It is claimed that Ismail regained consciousness with blood coming from his ear.
Camp Commander David M. Thomas refuted these allegations as "complete and total fabrication," stating that Ismail had thrown both a sandal and a book and spat at guards—actions characterized as an "assault." Officials maintained that any force applied was minimal and non-aggressive, noting the entire episode was recorded on video and followed by a medical examination that detected no injuries.
Nevertheless, the Christian Science Monitor pointed out that camp officials declined to provide access to the video footage or medical documentation supporting their assertions.
June 2009 sit-in
Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald reported that Yasin Qasem Ismail participated in an extended sit-in involving nearly half of the detainees housed in Camp 5. This demonstration arose in response to increased security measures following the apparent suicide of Muhammed Ahmad Abdallah Salih on June 1, 2009. During the protest, detainees refused to leave their outdoor exercise area, engaging in a peaceful standoff. Legal representatives, including Ismail's counsel David Remes, were aware of the event but were constrained from public discussion due to classification restrictions.
Hunger striker
Ismail was known for participating in prolonged hunger strikes. In 2013, he was quoted by the Yemen Times condemning the force-feeding procedures as cruel and stressing the necessity for more compassionate treatment.