Amanatullah Ali
Amanatullah Ali is a citizen of Pakistan, captured by United Kingdom forces in Iraq, who was then handed over to the United States, who has held him in extrajudicial detention in Afghanistan.[1][2][3]
David Rose of the Daily Mail, interviewed Amanatullah's family, including elder brother, Ashfaq, a policeman in their native Punjab. [4] Ashfaq said that Amanatullah disappeared on February 22, 2004, while he was on a business trip to neighbouring Iran, where he had travelled to sell rice from the family's farm. His family learned he was being held in the Bagram Theater Internment Facility more than a year later.
In December 2009, the BBC News reports Amanatullah is a Shia muslim -- while the human rights group Reprieve points out all members of Laskhar al Tayyiba, the Taliban and al Qaeda are Sunni muslims.[5] On May 16, 2010, Hilary Anderson of the BBC reported that Dr Ghairat Baheer, a former Bagram captive, described Amanatullah's captivity as having affected his mental health.[6] Andy Worthington, the author of The Guantanamo Files, quoted Reprieve's skepticism that Amanatullah could be a member of Lashkar al Taiba.[7]
- In Ali’s case, however, this is impossible, because he is a Shia Muslim, and, as his lawyers at Reprieve have explained, LeT is “a Sunni extremist group that views all Shia as heretics, and is currently conducting a violent campaign in Punjab to dispossess Shia Landlord lords such as Mr. Amanatullah.”[7]
Amanatullah Ali has tried to win his freedom through the US justice system.[2][2]
According to historian Andy Worthington, the author of The Guantanamo Files, although the DoD published a list of the names of 645 captives held in Bagram in September 22, 2010, neither Amanatullah Ali, or fellow Pakistani Yunus Rahmatullah, were named on that list.[8]
References
- ↑ Paddy McGuffin (2012-07-01). "Hoon may face war crime rap". Morning Star. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.morningstaronline.co.uk%2Findex.php%2Fcontent%2Fview%2Ffull%2F120853&date=2012-10-26. "Both men have been held for eight years without charge or trial at the infamous Bagram detention centre in Afghanistan after being arrested by British forces in Iraq and handed to the US in 2004."
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Andy Worthington (2012-01-31). "Obama Considers Repatriating Foreign Prisoners from Bagram". Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.andyworthington.co.uk%2F2012%2F01%2F31%2Fobama-considers-repatriating-foreign-prisoners-from-bagram%2F&date=2012-10-26. "The Post noted that another Pakistani, Amanatullah Ali, who was also picked up by British forces in Iraq, is seeking his release through the US courts,"
- ↑ Richard Norton-Taylor (2010-04-15). "Terror suspects held 'illegally' in Afghanistan prison named by charity". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2010%2Fapr%2F15%2Fterror-suspects-afghanistan-bagram&date=2012-10-26. "A legal charity has named two men who ended up in the infamous "dark prison" at Bagram in Afghanistan after being handed to US forces by members of the SAS. The men were held in Afghanistan after being seized by the British in Iraq."
- ↑ . Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fhome%2Fmoslive%2Farticle-1232665%2FWhy-Bagram-Guantanamos-evil-twin-Britains-dirty-secret.html&date=2012-10-26.
- ↑ "UK accused of rendition over men arrested in Iraq". BBC News. 2009-12-07. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2F2%2Fhi%2Fuk_news%2F8398630.stm&date=2012-10-26. "On Monday, Reprieve said that it had since established that one of the two men, Amanatullah Ali, is a Pakistani rice trader who belongs to the Shia branch of Islam. It questioned whether Mr Ali could be a member of LeT because it draws its support from Sunni Muslims, rather than Shias."
- ↑ Hilary Anderson (2010-05-16). "US-held detainee has become 'mentally disturbed'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2F2%2Fhi%2Fsouth_asia%2F8684769.stm&date=2012-10-26. "Dr Baheer said Mr Ali also had mental problems in Bagram, though not as severe as Salah's. "Anyone who got out as a normal human being, like me, it was a miracle, a blessing from God," said Dr Baheer."
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Andy Worthington (2010-01-20). "Dark Revelations in the Bagram Prisoner List". Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.andyworthington.co.uk%2F2010%2F01%2F20%2Fdark-revelations-in-the-bagram-prisoner-list%2F&date=2012-10-26.
- ↑ Andy Worthington (2010-01-26). "Bagram: The First Ever Prisoner List (The Annotated Version)". Archived from the original on 2010-01-27. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.andyworthington.co.uk%2Fbagram-the-first-ever-prisoner-list-the-annotated-version%2F&date=2010-01-27. "Salah Din was identified by the legal action charity Reprieve as Salahuddin and was apparently seized by British forces and transferred to Bagram with another Pakistani, a rice merchant named Amanatullah Ali. Reprieve later learned that Salahuddin was a nickname, and that his real name is Yunus Rahmatullah. However, no one of either name is on the Bagram prisoner list, even though it is clear, from letters received by his family, that Amanatullah Ali is being held at Bagram, and also that Yunis Rahmatullah (Salahuddin) is held there as well."
