Yasser Talal Al Zahrani

Yasser Talal al Zahrani
Born	Template:Birth date Saudi Arabia
Died	June 10, 2006(2006-06-10) (aged 21)
Occupation	Detainee
Known for	Detained at Guantanamo Bay; died in custody under disputed circumstances

Yasser Talal al Zahrani (born September 22, 1984 – died June 10, 2006) was a Saudi national detained without formal charges at the United States' Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. He was assigned the Internment Serial Number 93 by Guantanamo authorities. According to the Department of Defense, he was born in Saudi Arabia on September 22, 1984. Initially suspected of being a frontline Taliban combatant, his classification was later downgraded to "second line," with suspicions that he was involved in coordinating arms acquisitions.

In 2006, while still in custody, al-Zahrani sent a letter to his father, Colonel Talal al-Zahrani—a former Brigadier General in the Saudi police—expressing alarm that two detainees appeared close to death and hinting at possible misconduct. Ten days afterward, the Department of Defense announced that al-Zahrani and two other detainees had died by suicide. This announcement raised significant concerns among journalists, the Saudi government, families of detainees, and human rights organizations regarding whether these fatalities were genuine suicides or the result of abuse.

Combatant Status Review

A memo summarizing evidence for the tribunal accused al-Zahrani of:

• Arriving in Afghanistan in July 2001.
• Receiving training at an Afghan training camp near Konduz.
• Operating in a secondary role near Konduz during September 2001.

Administrative Review Board

Individuals designated as "enemy combatants" by the Combatant Status Review Tribunal were subject to yearly Administrative Review Board hearings. These sessions evaluated potential threats posed if released or transferred and other considerations impacting ongoing detention.

Allegations

There is no documentation indicating Yasser Talal al Zahrani attended his hearing. The Summary of Evidence memo cited 26 reasons supporting continued detention, including:

• Opting to travel to Afghanistan instead of completing high school in August 2001.
• Training at the Taliban's Konduz facility and al Qaida's al Farouq camp.
• Serving as a financial courier.
• Connections with senior leaders of al Qaida and the Taliban.
• Acting as a security guard for three months.
• Being captured and wounded during the Battle of Qala-i-Jangi prison uprising in early November.

Death

On June 10, 2006, the Department of Defense announced that three detainees at Guantanamo—two Saudis and one Yemeni—had died by suicide. Initially, DoD representatives did not disclose their identities.

The following day, June 11, 2006, Saudi officials identified the two Saudis as al-Zahrani and Maniy bin Shaman al-Otaibi (also known as Mani bin Shaman bin Turki al Habradi). Neither individual appeared on official Department of Defense detainee lists.

Al Zahrani's age

Abdulla Majid Al Naimi, a Bahraini detainee released in 2005, publicly challenged the official narrative regarding the deaths of three detainees in 2006. He asserted that al-Zahrani was only 16 years old when captured and should have been treated as a juvenile. He remarked:

He was 21 at the time of his death—just reaching legal adulthood in most countries—and was merely 16 upon capture over four years earlier. His age indicates he should have been handed over to juvenile authorities rather than taken to a police station.

Recent correspondence to his father

According to a report by the New York Times, Talal Abdallah al-Zahrani, the father of al-Zahrani, recently received a letter from his son, who seemed to be in good spirits. Talal remarked, "There was nothing to indicate he would take his own life." He also challenged the US assertions of non-cooperation, highlighting that his son dedicated time to memorizing the Koran and demonstrated good behavior. Furthermore, Al Zahrani mentioned that his son was engaged in work with Islamic charitable organizations in Afghanistan.

June 1 letter

The English-language Arab publication Asharq Alawsat released a letter dated ten days prior to the Pentagon’s announcement of three suicides on June 10. This letter alleged: "Two detainees are near death… possibly dying or already deceased due to poisoning." It implied that these individuals were among those reported as having committed suicide.

An unidentified detainee reportedly handed this letter to his attorney, who then delivered it to Talal Al Zahrani’s legal representative. For security reasons, Asharq Alawsat chose to keep the identity of the detainee confidential.

Attorneys at Guantanamo are required to submit all notes before departing and review them at a secure facility in Washington DC. Although confidentiality is asserted, it is probable that the Department of Defense is aware of the letter’s originator given these protocols.

Autopsies

Prior to repatriation, Guantanamo officials conducted post mortem examinations on the three deceased detainees. Talal al-Zahrani has requested an independent second autopsy, claiming his son’s body showed evidence of physical assault, which he argues contradicts the official suicide determination.

The family of Al Utaybi reported that Saudi autopsies revealed the Department of Defense retained his brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.

Forensic expert Patrice Mangin led a volunteer team offering impartial second autopsies. Upon examining Ahmed’s remains, Mangin noted it is standard practice to remove organs prone to rapid decay; however, he found that the DoD had also withheld Ahmed’s throat—an essential area for establishing cause of death. His team requested access to this tissue along with the bed linens allegedly involved in the hangings for additional examination.

Weight documentation

The Center for the Study of Human Rights at University of California (Davis) published official weight records related to Al Zahrani.

NCIS investigation report

On August 23, 2008, journalist Josh White from the Washington Post disclosed receiving 3,000 pages from the NCIS inquiry through Freedom of Information Act requests. The report attributed responsibility for the deaths to lapses by guards and a permissive approach toward compliant detainees.

It confirmed that the fatalities occurred in Camp 1, a facility now closed and previously designated for cooperative captives, and noted that laundry hung by detainees obscured the bodies at the time.

Pending habeas corpus petition

Habeas corpus petitions had been filed on behalf of Yassar Talal al-Zahrani and fellow Saudi detainee Salah Addin Ali Ahmed Al-Salami prior to their deaths. In December 2009, the Obama administration moved to dismiss these petitions, referencing CSR Tribunals’ classification of them as "enemy combatants." Talal al-Zahrani’s father responded: "Whether this was an intentional death, an accident, or suicide is irrelevant. The crucial point is that the U.S. government holds responsibility."

Media representations

The documentary Death in Camp Delta, created by Norwegian director Erling Borgen, explores the circumstances surrounding the reported suicides at Guantanamo.

See also

• Juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp
• Salah Ali Abdullah Ahmed al-Salami
• Mani Shaman Turki al-Habardi Al-Utaybi

External links

• Wikileaks’ detainee profile of Yasser Talal al Zahrani at Guantanamo
• Legal case: Al-Zahrani v. Rumsfeld
• Andy Worthington’s article on ongoing Guantánamo cover-up, June 9, 2010
• Saudi Gazette report on deaths of Saudi detainees at Guantánamo, July 28, 2010
• Harper's Magazine whistleblower account from Camp Delta sergeant, January 18, 2010
• The Atlantic’s coverage on three deaths at Guantánamo black site, January 18, 2010
• The Daily Telegraph on Guantánamo deaths occurring in secret detention facility, January 18, 2010
• The Guardian’s report on alleged inmate killings during interrogations, January 18, 2010
• Al Jazeera article critiquing the investigation into Guantánamo deaths
• The Economist obituary for Yasser Talal al-Zahrani, June 15, 2006
• Testimonies from military and diplomatic sources on Guantánamo’s juveniles – humanrights.ucdavis.edu