CAGE International Intervention Halts Deportation of Former Guantanamo Bay Prisoner in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan – Former Guantanamo Bay prisoner Mohammed Al-Ghubari, who was transferred to Kazakhstan in 2014, has had his deportation to Yemen halted following interventions from CAGE International.

Al-Ghubari, a Yemeni national, who—despite being promised legal status and protection—has had his application for refugee status consistently denied. This has left him without formal legal status and living under the constant threat of deportation. The Kazakh government has been attempting to deport him since his arrival, but these efforts have been unsuccessful so far.

Al-Ghubari’s wife has also come under pressure and harassment by the Kazakh intelligence services, who pressure her to divorce him. Recently, they closed her small shop under false accusations.

Last month, Mohammed was given just 15 days to leave the country or face deportation. However, following interventions by CAGE International, UN officials, and a legal team, the deportation was temporarily halted. Mohammed has been granted a two-month stay, during which he will appear in court for a judge to decide whether he is eligible for asylum.

Mohammed's case remains dire. He has been living without rights or legal status since 2014, and his struggle for safety and security continues as he faces an uncertain future.

Mansoor Adayfi, Guantanamo Project Coordinator at CAGE International, said:

"Life after Guantanamo is not freedom; it’s just a different kind of prison. We’re told we’re free, but we’re left in limbo, without legal status, without protection, and without any real future. The scars of detention don’t vanish when we leave the gates; they follow us wherever we go. For many of us, Guantanamo 2.0 means living in exile, with the constant threat of deportation, harassment, and fear of being sent back to a place where we could face death, torture, or worse. This is not freedom. It’s just another form of injustice.”