Lufti Bin Swei Lagha

Lufti Bin Swei Lagha
Born November 28, 1968 (1968-11-28) (age 43)
Tunis, Tunisia
Detained at Bagram, Guantanamo
Alternate name Lotfi Lagha
ISN 660

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] 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]

Contents

Repatriation

A Tunisian named Lotfi Lagha was repatriated from Guantanamo to Tunisian custody in late June 2007.[3][4] 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."[3]

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."[4]

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

  1. ^ "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. ^ a b c "Former Guantanamo detainee convicted at home in Tunisia on terror charges". International Herald Tribune. October 24, 2007. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/24/africa/AF-GEN-Tunisia-Guantanamo-Detainee.php. Retrieved 2007-10-31. 
  3. ^ a b Bouazza Bein Bouazza (August 11, 2007). "Tunisian Says US Soldiers Beat Him". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/11/AR2007081101205.html. Retrieved 2007-08-23. 
  4. ^ a b Jennifer Daskal (September 2, 2007). "A Fate Worse Than Guantanamo". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/31/AR2007083101463.html. Retrieved 2007-09-02. 

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