| Zainulabidin Merozhev | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 (age 33–34) - Kurgantapa, Tajikistan which in 1978 was part of the Soviet Union |
| Arrested | coalition forces |
| Alternate name |
|
| ISN | 1095 |
| Alleged to be a member of | Taliban Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin |
| Charge(s) | No charge (extrajudicial detention) |
| Status | Repatriated on 31 October 2008[1] |
| Occupation | taxi driver |
Zainulabidin Merozhev is a citizen of Tajikistan who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.[2] His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 1095. American intelligence analysts estimate he was born in 1978, in Kurgantapa, Tajikistan.
Zainulabidin Merozhev was captured in Afghanistan in July 2003 and he was transferred to Tajikistan on October 31, 2008.[3]
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Abedin was captured on July 3, 2003 near Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan.[4]
On March 15, 2006 The Guardian published an Associated Press story that reported that Zainulabidin told his Tribunal he was a refugee who had fled Tajikistan in 1991 or 1992.[4][5] They reported that he claimed he was just a taxi driver, but that the US documents accused him of being a member of the Taliban and a leader in Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin who had carried out an al Qaeda mission Tajikistan.
Zainulabidin told his Tribunal[4]:
A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for his tribunal. The memo accused him of the following:[6]
- a. The detainee is associated with al Qaida and the Taliban:
- The detainee, as a military commander, reportedly was assigned a mission in Tajikistan after 11 September 2001 as part of an al Qaida and Taliban operational plan.
- The detainee was a leader of a Taliban compound.
- The detainee is a high-ranking Taliban member and is currently a Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) Commander.
- Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) has been designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.
- The detainee was captured in Mazar-e Shariff , Afghanistan by coalition forces and positively identified, on 3 July 2003.
- b. The detainee participated in military operations against the United States and its coalition partners:
- The detainee was in a leadership role in a rocket attack against United States forces at the Mazar-e Shariff airfield.
- The detainee has been implicated in the roadside bomb assassination attempt of General Dostum, a Northern Alliance leader.
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.[7]
The factors for and against continuing to detain Jumma Jan were among the 121 that the Department of Defense released on March 3, 2006.[8]
The following primary factors favor continued detention
- a. Commitment
- The detainee, as a military commander, reportedly was assigned a mission in Tajikistan after 11 September 2001 as part Of an al Qaida and Taliban operational plan.
- The detainee has fought with the Taliban under several commanders. The detainee has also resided with several Hezb-e-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) commanders.
- HIG has been designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.
- HIG has long-established ties with Usama Bin Laden. HIG has staged small attacks in its attempt to force U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan, overthrow the Afghan Transitional Administration and establish a fundamentalist state.
- The detainee was captured in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan by coalition forces and was positively identified on 3 July 2003.
- b. Training
- The detainee has been involved in training operatives in the use of explosives and improvised explosive devices in order to target United States military personnel.
- c. Connections/Associations
- The detainee was identified as the leader of a compound where approximately 100 Taliban soldiers stayed.
- The detainee is a high-ranking Taliban member and is a HIG Commander.
- The detainee admitted he was a driver for Taliban Commander Guli, for one year.
- The detainee is associated with Qarim Boy, a HIG commander and Maulawi Shamsul Haq, who was a security guard for Mullah Mohammad Omar.
- Mullah Mohammad Omar is the former Taliban Supreme Leader.
- Maulawi Shamsul Haq was also a former Deputy of the Taliban Party.
- The detainee met with Mulla Zarmai sometime around June 2003. Mulla Zarmai is a former commander to Mullah Omar.
- d. Intent
- The detainee was in a leadership role in a rocket attack against United States forces at the Mazar-e-Sharif airfield.
- The detainee has been implicated in the roadside bomb assassination attempt of General Dostum, a Northern Alliance leader.
- The detainee has been involved in the purchase, construction and storage of mines in the Chemtal area of Afghanistan.
- e. Other Relevant Data
- The detainee speaks Farsi, Russian, Uzbecki, Pashto and some English.
The following primary factors favor release or transfer
- a. Detainee denied having any knowledge of the attacks in the United States prior to their execution on September 11, and also denied knowledge of any rumors or plans of future attacks on the U.S. or U.S. interests.
- b. The detainee stated that if he were released, he would go home, be married to his fiance" and continue on with his life. The detainee stated he had no associations with the Taliban, besides being their driver in the past.
- c. The detainee claims he never transported, built or used explosives of any kind.
Jan chose to participate in his Administrative Review Board hearing.[9]
A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for his third annual Administrative Review Board on May 2, 2007.[10]
The following primary factors favor continued detention
- a. Commitment
- The detainee stated he was the driver for Taliban Commander Ghuli in Mazar e Sharif, Afghanistan, for 11 months in 2000 and 2001.
- A person with access to a senior al Qaida official claims the detainee was tasked to incite internal rebellions in two countries as part of the second phase of the 11 September 2001 attacks.
- The detainee was identified as the leader of a Taliban compound that housed approximately 100 Taliban soldiers.
- The detainee fought with the Taliban and had taken his forces to the Takar province in Afghanistan when coalition forces arrived. After the fall of the Taliban, the detainee returned to the Chemtal area of Afghanistan, and lived with several Hezb e Islami Gulbuddin Commanders.
- The Department of Homeland Security has identified Hezb e Islami Gulbuddin as a foreign terrorist organization.
- The detainee is reported to be a former Taliban Commander. The detainee was injured twice in battles against the forces of United Islamic front for the salvation of Afghanistan leader Ahmed Shah Masood.
- The detainee has been implicated as the leader of an assassination attempt on the life of a high ranking Afghan official. The detainee supervised placement of several 50 kilogram roadside bombs. The detainee has also been involved in the purchase, construction, and storing of mines.
- An individual stated the detainee acted on the orders of a former commander of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
- The Department of Homeland Security has identified Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan as a foreign terrorist organization.
- The detainee was identified as one of the main planners for a rocket attack on a logistics compound, hospital, and airport in Mazar e Sharif, Afghanistan, in 2003.
- The detainee was identified as a Chechen Commander.
- b. Training
- A source identified the detainee as a high-ranking Taliban member and current Hezb e Islami Gulbuddin commander who was actively training Hezb e Islami Gulbuddin members in the use of explosive devices.
- c. Connections/Associations
- The detainee stated he was associated with a Taliban member who helped him obtain a job with the Taliban.
- The detainee met with a former Taliban commander in June 2003.
- d. Other Relevant Data
- The detainee claims that two months prior to his capture he was illegally obtaining opium from poppies.
The following primary factors favor release or transfer
- a. The detainee denied having any knowledge of the attacks in the United States prior to their execution on 11 September 2001, and also denied knowledge of any rumors or plans of future attacks on the United States or United States interests.
- b. The detainee stated that if the Americans and their coalition forces had not come to Afghanistan, they would not be free.
- c. The detainee denied being a member of the Taliban or al Qaida, or being involved in any jihad.
- d. The detainee denied ever fighting against or assisting anyone else who fought against United States forces.
- e. The detainee stated that the attacks on 11 September 2001 were a terrible thing that happened and many innocent people died.
On January 9, 2009 the Department of Defense released two heavily redacted memos, from his Board, to Gordon England, the Designated Civilian Official.[11][12] The Board's recommendation was unanimous The Board's recommendation was redacted. England authorized a course of action on October 10, 2007. But that course of action was redacted.
The recommendation memo stated: "The ARB considered the habeas counsel's ARB submission material submitted on behalf of ISN 1095, identified herein as enclosure (5)." But the habeas material was withheld.
On 2008-10-31 Gregory Katsas filed a notice in Henry H. Kennedy's court in Washington DC that Zainulabidin Merozhev had been repatriated to Tajikistan.[1]
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