| Hadj Boudella | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 (age 46–47) [1] -Algeria |
| Detained at | Guantanamo Bay camp |
| Alternate name | Boudella al Hajj |
| ISN | 10006 |
| Charge(s) | No charges (unlawful detained) |
| Status | Released in December 2008 after winning his habeas corpus |
| Occupation | Worked with Bosnian orphans |
Hadj Boudella is a citizen of Bosnia who was wrongfully detained for over six years in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba.[2]
He was born in Algeria, moved to Bosnia, married Nađa Dizdarević a Bosnian woman, and became a Bosnian citizen. Boudella, and five associates of his, who were also Bosnians who were born in Algeria were arrested by Bosnian authorities. Local United States intelligence officials said they detected "chatter" that implicated the six in a conspiracy to bomb the Bosnian embassy.
He won his habeas corpus and US District Court Judge Richard J. Leon wrote that there was no evidence that Boudella intended to travel to Afghanistan to take up arms against US forces. Judge Leon declared Boudella's detention as unlawful and ordered his release in November 2008. He was released from Guantanamo and returned to his family in Bosnia on December 16, 2008.[3]
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Hadj Boudella was among the 60% of prisoners who chose to participate in tribunal hearings. A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for the tribunal of each detainee, listing the allegations that supported their detention as an "enemy combatant".
Hadj Boudella's memo accused him of the following:[4][5]
- a. The detainee is associated with al Qaida:
- The detainee was arrested with Bensayah Belkacem, a known al Qaida associate, for International Terrorism by the Bosnia-Herzegovina authorities.
- Bensayah Belkacem had phone conversations with Abu Zubaydah, a senior aide to Usama Bin Laden, who was in charge of screening recruits for al Qaida training camps in Afghanistan.
- The detainee and others acted as an organized terrorist group and they were in contact with known al Qaida member, Abu Zubaydah.
- Detainee was arrested by Bosnian authorities in connection with a planned attack on the American embassy.
- Detainee is a member of the Mujahadin network. Also, detainee is likely a member of Armed Islamic Group of Algeria, a militant organization.
- Armed Islamic Group of Algeria is on the list of sympathizers and helpers of Usama Bin Laden’s al Qaida.
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.[6]
Boudella chose to participate in his Administrative Review Board hearing.[7]
On June 2005 Boudella's wife Nađa Dizdarević started the first of several hunger strikes to protest her husbands detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She said she would end her hunger strike only when she received written confirmation from Bosnia's presidency it would address the issue with Washington.[8]
On 16 December 2008 Hadj Boudella, Mustafa Idr, and Mohammed Nechle were released to Bosnia.[9][10][11]
On 3 March 2009, El Khabar reported that the Bush administration forced Idr and the other two men to sign undertakings that they would not sue the US government for their kidnapping, before they would be released.[12]
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