Zachary Philip Katznelson

Zachary Philip Katznelson is a British lawyer and senior counsel for the human rights group Reprieve.[1]

Katznelson and his colleagues have represented thirty-seven Guantanamo captives.

Katznelson has been invited to write multiple op-eds, and has been frequently quoted in the UK press.[2]

Comments on Guantanamo captives' cases

The BBC News quoted Katznelson's comments following the release of Bisher Al Rawi[3]:

"So it was misinformation that started this chain of events, though unfortunately that led to him first being taken by the CIA to Afghanistan to an underground prison of 24 hour darkness with rats everywhere, to then being taken to Guantanamo - and it took years to right this wrong.
"Right to the end they treated him with brutality, on the way to the plane in Guantanamo - they knew he was leaving - they insisted still on shackling him, blindfolding him, putting on earmuffs so he couldn't hear a thing and keeping him in the back of a very hot , very confined van on the way to the plane."

On September 6, 2009 Zachary Katznelson made what The Guardian characterized as "extraordinary claims" on behalf of his client Shaker Aamer.[4] Katznelson repeated accounts Aamer had offered him of severe abuse during his initial interrogations in the Bagram Theater Internment Facility.

Aamer had told him some of the interrogators who abused him in Bagram, in early 2002, represented themselves as MI5 officers.[4] Aamer told him about feeling terrified as he recovered from one stunning beating that his interrogators had left him alone in a room with a pistol on the table.

Aamer told him that the interrogators who represented themselves as MI5 officers offered him a choice.[4] If he agreed to spy on suspected jihadists living in the UK he could be released to the United Kingdom. Alternatively he could remain indefinitely American custody.

Commenting on Aamer's report that he had been left alone with a gun Katznelson said[4]:

"The interrogators at the time were clearly making it up as they went along. He [Aamer] didn't know what to make of it. He was absolutely terrified. He'd been abused and then he was left alone with a gun. You can't get more abusive than that."[4]

Commenting on Aamer's report that MI5 had tried to recruit him as a spy Katznelson said[4]:

"You wouldn't make that offer to someone you thought was dangerous. It wouldn't make sense from a security perspective."[4]

Cases Katznelson has been involved with

Katznelson has filed documents for the following captives:

On 2008-07-09 Zachary Katznelson filed a "STATEMENT REGARDING HEARING OF JULY 8, 2008" in Civil Actions: 05-CV-748 (RMC), 05-CV-764 (CKK), 05-CV-1347 (GK), 05-CV-1504 (RMC), 05-CV-2215 (RMC), 05-CV-2349 (RMC), 05-CV-2386 (RBW), 06-CV-1766 (HHK).[5]

On 2008-07-18 Zachary Katznelson filed a "STATUS REPORT" with regard to Jihad Dhiab, Shaker Aamer in Civil Action No. 05-cv-1457 (GK).[6]

On 2008-07-18 Zachary Katznelson filed a "Status Report" with regard to Ahmed Belbacha (ISN 290) in Civil Action No. 05-cv-2349 (RMC).[7]

On 2008-07-18 Zachary Katznelson filed a "Status report" with regard to Shaker Abdurraheem Aamer (ISN 239) in Civil Action No. 04-cv-2215 (RMC).[8]

On 2008-07-18 Zachary Katznelson filed a "Status report" in Civil Action No. 05-cv-764 (CKK) on behalf of Younis Shakur and Abdullatif Mohammed Nasser.[9]

On 2008-08-18 Zachary Katznelson filed a "NOTICE OF APPEARANCE" on behalf of Ahmed Omar (ISN 30) in Civil Action No. 05-cv-2386 (RBW).[10]

On 16 August 2008 Zachary Katznelson filed a "NOTICE OF AUTHORIZATION" in Mohammed Omar v. George W. Bush Civil Action No. 05-2386 (RBW) on behalf of Mohammed Omar.[11]

On 2008-08-29 Zachary Katznelson filed a "CONSENT MOTION FOR ENTRY OF PROTECTIVE ORDER" with regard to Mohammed Abdulmalik in Civil Action No. 08-cv-1440 (CKK).[12]

On 2008-09-09 Zachary Katznelson filed a "NOTICE OF JOINDER IN PETITIONERS’ RESPONSE TO RESPONDENTS’ REQUEST FOR RELIEF FROM SCHEDULING ORDER" with regard to Mohammed Abdulmalik in Civil Action No. 05-cv-764, 05-cv-1504, 05-cv-2349, 05-cv-748, 04-cv-2215, 05-1457, 05-cv-270, 08-cv-1440, 05-cv-2386 (CKK, RMC, GK, JR, RBW).[13] Petitioners Abdullatif Nasser, Nabil Hadjarab, Ahmed Belbacha, Mohsen Ahbdrub Aboassy, Said Salim Bin Salman, Samir Najy Mukbel, Shaker Aamer, Jihad Dhiab, Sherif El-Mashad, Adel Fattough Al Gazzar, Mohammed Abdulmalik, Sayf Bin Abdullah and Ahmed Omar, join in Petitioners’ Response to Respondents’ Motion for Relief from Scheduling Order, filed with the Court Security Officer on September 8, 2008. The Notice of Filing of this Response was filed as Misc. Docket Number 357.

On 2008-09-12 Zachary Katznelson filed a "MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION" in Civil Action No. 05-cv-764, 05-cv-1504, 05-cv-2349, 05-cv-748, 04-cv-2215, 05-1457, 05-cv-270, 08-cv-1440, 05-cv-2386 (CKK, RMC, GK, JR, RBW).[14]

On 2008-09-27 Zachary Katznelson filed a "Notices of authorization by petitioners to pursue this action" in Civil Action No. 05-cv-329, 05-cv-2349 (PLF, RMC).[15]

On September 27, 2008 Zachary Katznelson and Cori Crider of Reprieve filed a "NOTICE OF AUTHORIZATION BY PETITIONER SAIFULLAH PARACHA TO PURSUE THIS ACTION" on behalf of Saifullah Paracha in Civil Action No. 04-2022. (PLF).[16]

On 2008-11-10 Zachary Katznelson filed a "MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION" in Civil Action No. 08-cv-1789 (RWR).[17]

References

  1. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2007-06-07). "Zachary Katznelson: In Guantanamo, men shadow-box for their lives". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/zachary-katznelson-in-guantanamo-men-shadowbox-for-their-lives-452032.html. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  2. ^ "More on: Zachary Katznelson". The Independent. http://search.independent.co.uk/topic/zachary-katznelson. Retrieved 2010-10-10. 
  3. ^ "UK man released from Guantanamo". BBC News. 2007-04-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6515701.stm. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Jamie Doward (2009-09-06). "'MI5 agent left me alone with gun', says Guantánamo terror detainee". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2F2009%2Fsep%2F06%2Fguantanamo-gun-abuse-cia-mi5&date=2009-09-06. 
  5. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-07-09). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 31 -- STATEMENT REGARDING HEARING OF JULY 8, 2008". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/31/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  6. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-07-18). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 121 -- STATUS REPORT". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/121/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  7. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-07-18). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 122 -- Status Report". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/122/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  8. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-07-18). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 123 -- Status report". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/123/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  9. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-07-18). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 124 -- Status report". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/124/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  10. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-08-18). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 261 -- NOTICE OF APPEARANCE". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/261/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-17. 
  11. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-08-16). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 262 -- NOTICE OF AUTHORIZATION". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/262/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-08-21.  mirror
  12. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-08-29). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 315 -- CONSENT MOTION FOR ENTRY OF PROTECTIVE ORDER". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/315/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  13. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-09-09). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 372 -- NOTICE OF JOINDER IN PETITIONERS’ RESPONSE TO RESPONDENTS’ REQUEST FOR RELIEF FROM SCHEDULING ORDER". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/372/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  14. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-09-12). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 413 -- MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/413/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  15. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-09-27). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 541 -- Notices of authorization by petitioners to pursue this action". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/541/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18. 
  16. ^ Zachary Katznelson. Cori Crider (2008-09-27). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 542 -- NOTICE OF AUTHORIZATION BY PETITIONER SAIFULLAH PARACHA TO PURSUE THIS ACTION". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/542/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-09-30.  mirror
  17. ^ Zachary Katznelson (2008-11-10). "Guantanamo Bay Detainee Litigation: Doc 958 -- MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION". United States Department of Justice. http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/district-of-columbia/dcdce/1:2008mc00442/131990/958/0.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-18.