The neutrality of this article needs to be checked. This article is largely or entirely based on text from public domain United States government sources. This article may express the point of view of the United States government or may contain an unbalanced critical assessment. It may require editing to put it in compliance with Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy.(August 2009) |
No Title | |
---|---|
No Title |
No information |
Lufti Bin Swei Lagha is a citizen of Tunisia who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.[1] His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 660. The Department of Defense reports that he was born on November 28, 1968 in Tunis, Tunisia.
After his repatriation from Guantanamo Lotfi Lagha stood trial in Tunisia, was convicted, and sentenced to three years imprisonment, for "associating with a criminal group with the aim of harming or causing damage in Tunisia.[2]
Combatant Status Review[]
- Main article: Combatant Status Review Tribunal
A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for his tribunal. The memo accused him of the following:[3][4]
- a. The detainee is associated with al Qaida:
- The detainee traveled from Italy to Afghanistan via Iran arriving in April 2001, after being inspired to perform jihad.
- The detainee associated with several Tunisians at a cultural center in Northern Italy, and frequented elements of the Jama'at al Tablighi.
- Among those who frequented the cultural center was at least one individual that belonged to a terrorist network that ensures financial support to terrorist groups while also actively recruiting for Usama Bin Laden sponsored training camps in Afghanistan.
- Jama'at al Tablighi, a Pakistan based Islamic missionary organization is being used as a cover to mask travel and activities of terrorists including members of al Qaida.
- The detainee was sent by the head of the terrorist network for military training in Afghanistan. He traveled, with a companion, to Afghanistan in early 2001.
- This companion is a member of the terrorist network and a convicted terrorist.
- The detainee received training at a paramilitary training camp.
Testimony[]
There is no record that Lufti Bin Swei Lagha chose to participate in his Combatant Status Review Tribunal.
Administrative Review Board[]
Detainees whose Combatant Status Review Tribunal labeled them "enemy combatants" were scheduled for annual Administrative Review Board hearings. These hearings were designed to assess the threat a detainee may pose if released or transferred, and whether there are other factors that warrant his continued detention.[5]
The factors for and against continuing to detain Lufti Bin Swei Lagha were among the 121 that the Department of Defense released on March 3, 2006.[6]
The following primary factors favor continued detention
- a. Commitment
- The detainee stole a boat to enter Italy illegally with an Egyptian and another Tunisian.
- After arriving in Italy, the detainee used a false identification card.
- The detainee traveled from Italy to Afghanistan via Iran arriving in April 2001 after being inspired to perform jihad.
- The detainee paid cash for his tickets to Afghanistan and took $2,500 U.S. currency with him.
- The detainee was recruited at a mosque in Italy. The recruiter provided him a travel route and a Tunisian contact in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
- The Tunisian contact ran a training camp near Lake Duruanta prior to 2001. The contact owned a house which was co-located with the former training camp.
- The Tunisian contact took care of the detainee's accommodations for six months. During this time, the detainee became acquainted with two other Tunisian nationals.
- One of these Tunisians is a reported member of the terrorist group GIA (Armed Islamic Group).
- The other had an extremist group which operated in Darunta and was connected to a known terrorist group, Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin.
- The Armed Islamic Group (GIA) and Hizb-I Islami Gulbuddin are designated terrorist organizations. Hizb-I Islami Gulbuddin ran terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. They have staged attacks in an attempt to force U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan.
- b. Training
- The detainee was trained to use and automatic Austrian rifle in the Tunisian military.
- The detainee was sent by the head of a terrorist network for military training in Afghanistan in early 2001.
- This companion is a member of a terrorist network and a convicted terrorist.
- The detainee received training at a paramilitary training camp.
- c. Connection/Associations
- The detainee associated with several Tunisians at a cultural center in Northern Italy and frequeented elements of the Jama'at al Tablighi.
- Jama'at al Tablighi, a Pakistan based Islamic missionary organization, is being used as a cover to mask travel and activities of terrorists including members of al Qaida.
- Among those who frequented the cultural center was at least one individual that belonged to a terrorist network that ensures financial support to terrorist groups while also actively recruiting for Usama Bin Laden sponsored training camps in Afghanistan.
- The detainee was hired by an individual who ran a Cultural Center in Milan.
- The institute and the individual who ran the institute are linked to various Islamic extremist groups.
- The detainee knew an alleged al Qaida member in Europe who frequented a mosque in Milan.
- The detainee saw members of the Taliban while in Afghanistan.
- d. Intent
- After his arrest, the detainee told others that he was coming from the mountains of Tora Bora.
The following primary factors favor release or transfer
- Detainee stated that he went to Afghanistan as a tourist.
- During his stay in Afghanistan, the detainee said that he spent his time fishing and recreating, and remained in Jalalabad the entire time. Once the war started he left Afghanistan.
- Detaniee stated that he is a Sunni but he does not practice any particular belief system in Islam. He does not follow any particular person. He thinks al Qaida's belief system is strange and that they are not good.
- Detainee stated that he doesn't have anything against the United States and he has no affiliation or knowledge of Usama bin Laden.
- Detainee claimed he never was a fighter, never took up arms against the Americans or anyone else, and never trained in a camp in Afghanistan.
Transcript[]
A two page transcript from the unclassified session of Lufti Bin Swei Lagha's Board hearing records his Presiding's Officer concluding he had not chosen to participate in his hearing.[7] His Assisting Military Officer presented notes to the Board from the Enemy Combatant election form. These unclassified notes were not recorded in the transcript. Nor were they attached.
Repatriation[]
A Tunisian named Lotfi Lagha was repatriated from Guantanamo to Tunisian custody in late June 2007.[8][9] Bouazza ben Bouazza, of the Associated Press reports that Lofti Lagha was held in the Bagram Theater detention facility for several months in early 2002, prior to transfer to Guantanamo. Lofti Lagha reports that his all eight of his fingers were amputated, against his will, while in American custody at Bagram, even though Pakistani doctors told him amputation was unnecessary. He reports that American soldiers beat him and kicked him, when he awoke from the operation.
Lofit Lagha was held in a prison in Mornaguia "on charges of associating with a criminal group."[8]
On September 2, 2007 Jennifer Daskal, writing in the Washington Post, reported that Lofti Lagha, and another repatriated Tunisian were "...telling visitors that things are so bad they would rather be back at Guantanamo Bay."[9]
Daskall wrote that Lotfi Lagha had been held in solitary confinement from June 21, 2007, to August 7, 2007, even though the Tunisian Civil Code only allows solitary confinement for ten days or less, and in spite of the Tunisian governments assurrance to the US State Department that the captive would be treated humanely upon their return.
Trial and conviction[]
Lofti Lagha was convicted on Wednesday October 24, 2007 of "associating with a criminal group with the aim of harming or causing damage in Tunisia."[2] Several other charges were dropped. The Associated Press notes: "Authorities did not name the group that Lagha was said to participate in or specify what its planned violence was." The Associated Press notes that his hands were still bandaged in 2007, five years after his fingers were amputated.
Lofti Lagha's lawyer, Samir Ben Amor, said that he had been beaten both in Guantanamo, and upon his return to Tunisia.[2] Cynthia Smith did not respond to the specific allegations that Lofti Lagha was abused, but repeated that all US captives were treated humanely.
References[]
- ↑ "List of Individuals Detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January 2002 through May 15, 2006". United States Department of Defense. http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf. Retrieved 2006-05-15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Former Guantanamo detainee convicted at home in Tunisia on terror charges [1] October 24, 2007
- ↑ Q&A: What next for Guantanamo prisoners? [2] 2002-01-21 mirror
- ↑ CSRT Summary of Evidence memoranda (.pdf) prepared for Lufti Bin Swei Lagha's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - October 15, 2004 - page 143
- ↑ "Annual Administrative Review Boards for Enemy Combatants Held at Guantanamo Attributable to Senior Defense Officials". March 6, 2007. http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3902. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
- ↑ Factors for and against the continued detention (.pdf) of Lufti Bin Swei Lagha Administrative Review Board, May 2, 2005 - page 45
- ↑ OARDEC (2005). "Summary of Administrative Review Board Proceedings for ISN 660 (Lufti Bin Swei Lagha)". US Department of Defense. pp. 138–139. http://www.dod.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt_arb/ARB_Transcript_Set_1_395-584.pdf#138. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tunisian Says US Soldiers Beat Him [3] Bouazza Bein Bouazza August 11, 2007[dead link]
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Fate Worse Than Guantanamo [4] Jennifer Daskal September 2, 2007
External links[]
- A Tunisian in Guantánamo: the story of Lofti Lagha, Prisoner 660 Andy Worthington
- “We would rather be back in Guantánamo,” say Tunisians Abdullah bin Omar and Lofti Lagha, returned in June Andy Worthington
- “I’m innocent,” says Guantánamo detainee Lofti Lagha, sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in Tunisia Andy Worthington
{{{header}}} |
---|
{{{body}}} |