Ibrahim Daif Allah Neman Al Sehli (born on 28 October 1965 in Medina, Saudi Arabia) is held in extrajudicial detention in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.[1] Al Sehli's Guantanamo detainee ID number is 094. The Department of Defense reports he was born on October 20, 1965, in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
A security guard who worked for the Taliban, al-Sehli was found to suffer from dementia while in custody, and was released in 2006.[2]
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Al Sehli's name is spelled differently on two official lists:
Initially the Bush administration asserted they could withhold the protections of the Geneva Conventions from captives in the "War on Terror", while critics argued the Conventions obligated the United States to conduct competent tribunals to determine the status of prisoners. Subsequently, the US Department of Defense instituted Combatant Status Review Tribunals, to determine whether the captives met the new definition of an "enemy combatant".
From July 2004 through March 2005, a CSRT was convened to make a determination whether each captive had been correctly classified as an "enemy combatant". Ibrahim Daif Allah Neman Al Sehli was among the two-thirds of prisoners who chose to participate in their tribunals.[4]
A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for the tribunal, listing the alleged facts that led to his detainment. His memo accused him of the following: [5][5][6]
Al Sehli denied the allegation that he was a member of the Taliban.
Al Sehli denied that he was recruited to go to Afghanistan. But later, during his Tribunal, he admitted that one of his teachers, an Afghan he called ‘Abd ar-Rahman influenced his decision. Al Sehli denied being advised that the Taliban needed assistance. He said that from his Afghan teacher he got the impression that Afghans were very good people.
Al Sehli denied being influenced by fatwas to assist the Taliban. He denied ever reading any fatwas like those described in the allegations.
Al Sehli acknowledged traveling to Afghanistan two weeks after 11 September 2001. He said he had no way of knowing whether any of the Afghans he met after his arrival were members of the Taliban.
Al Sehli acknowledged staying in houses, but he did not know they were Taliban houses. Al Sehli denied seeing any wounded men in the houses where he was a guest.
Al Sehli acknowledged passing through Konduz, but only as he fled Afghanistan.
He wasn't a guest in any houses in Konduz as he fled. Al Sehli asked for an explanation of Konduz. The transcript implied that his translator informed him that Konduz was near the front line, and a stay in Konduz implied he may have fought on the front lines. Al Sehli then told his Tribunal that he was never near the front lines and he never saw any fighting.
Al Sehli acknowledged guarding a food warehouse, and being issued a rifle for the duration of his guard duty. But the warehouse was private property -- not Taliban property. He was only guarding against petty theft, not an invasion.
Al Sehli acknowledged being present during the prison uprising at Mazari Sharif. He was handcuffed, in a courtyard, when there were explosions. He was lightly wounded by shrapnel from an explosion behind him.
Al Sehli's Tribunal transcript states: "...Prior to explaining the detainee's rights at the Tribunal hearing, the Tribunal President discussed the results of his Psychological Evaluation conducted on 22 September 2004." His Personal Representative had asked for the psychological evaluation, an unusual request, because he was concerned Al Sehil might be suffering from dementia.
Although a psychologist determined Al Sehil would be able to understand and participate in his Tribunal, he repeatedly told the tribunal's President that he was not understanding what was being explained to him.
Al Sehli was repatriated to Saudi Arabia on May 19, 2006 with 14 other men.[3][7]