Interview with Dr. Najeeb al-Nu'aymi

Dr. Najeeb Al-Nu'aymi was Qatar's Minister of Justice from 1996 to 1997. Today he is an activist on behalf of the Guantanamo Bay detainees and is acting as legal counsel for countless families. He is also the chairman of the Committee for the Defence of the Detainees at Guantanamo.

CAGEPRISONERS.COM: Dr. Najeeb, thank you for speaking to us.

Could you explain a little about your work on behalf of the Guantanamo Bay detainees?

Dr. Najeeb Al-Nu'aymi: I started in March 2002, after I saw the first detainees being taken from Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay. I received enquiries from some the families of the detainees. I was previously the Minister of Justice (for Qatar), and now am a human rights activist. They contacted me to try to form a committee to defend the detainees. Unfortunately, I faced many problems. I did not find much of a response from international institutions - they were not really responding [to the situation] in themselves, nor did they give me assistance. I became almost lonely. The International Jurors Association did not respond at all. Even the International Bar Association - they have a committee called the Alert Committee which deals with Human Rights activity - even they ran away from offering me assistance. So I felt really alone.

CP: What motivated you to take up this work, especially free of charge?

NN: Well, as I have seen no reaction from governments or institutions in standing up for Muslims, then individuals have to stand up. It's just my belief that I should help and I do help and assist everyone who has been exploited or are victims of oppression. One Sheikh, whose son had been detained, called me and wanted me to take money, but I said “No, I am not taking money from you. I am trying to gain my hasanaat (rewardable good deeds) from God, rather than taking money from you.”

CP: How many families are you acting on behalf of? Which countries are they from?

NN:97 detainees and it’s increasing. They are of various nationalities - Canada, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Yemen, Qatar, and Bahrain, to name a few.

CP: You have said in an interview that the number of detainees is actually higher (closer to 800 detainees) than the figures publicized (660). What leads you to believe this?

NN:The reason for that is that they [the Americans] claim the number, but they have detained many people outside Afghanistan, and they are not counted as detainees. They have not listed them. Many people have been picked up, worldwide, from Africa and Asia - they are not accounted for in the number of detainees. This is one of the reasons. Secondly, what is going on now is that they [the US] will release many people, but they will be replaced with detainees from Iraq.

CP: Could you tell a little about your experience with the families of the detainees? In what way have they been affected?

NN:Well, they have been so affected that one of the mothers has died because she was in hospital, waiting for her son. In most of the families, the father and mother are getting sick; the children are waiting for their father; the brothers and sisters are pre-occupied with when they [their family members] are coming back, knowing they are innocent. They have been affected psychologically, socially, even financially. Some of them have been treated very badly by their own government; for example, the Yemenis have been treated very badly by their own government. From the beginning in Yemen, they arrested the whole family of one of the detainees. We struggled to get them out. They were kept [in custody] for investigation for a long time. This, of course, really affected the families. In another case, the wife of a Libyan detainee is struggling to live because she doesn't have an income. She is struggling, she has five children. Nobody wants to help, even the state itself. There are many people in such circumstances.

CP: Could you elaborate on the "secret phone calls" you have alluded to in previous interviews that took place between detainees and their families?

NN:I know of two instances of these secret phone calls. When I corresponded with the Pentagon, I told them that if they allowed two or three people to make these calls then everyone should be entitled to do so. I think they did it for reasons of co-operation with the interrogators. One of my clients tried to commit suicide because he was being tortured. He is now well, but psychologically they are put down so much. No one can believe it. No one can believe this kind of life.

CP: What has been the response of the US officials to these calls?

NN:Well, they denied it. We have questioned them about this through press meetings, but they denied the phone calls. But we are sure they took place, because I was told this by the families and they know the voice of their son.

CP: What is your response to the harrowing accounts of Guantanamo Bay from the recently released British Detainees? Is it consistent with what you know from your clients?

NN:No, not at all. I was surprised with what Al-Harith said about being drugged. This is really very bad. I was not told about this. When I met with them [US officials], I said to them, “How are you treating prisoners according to the Geneva Convention; There is nothing in Geneva Convention that allows you to drug them.” I have been visiting the Pentagon, trying to get them released from 2003. I have met with George Bush, too, and had official correspondence with him. From the beginning, I told them, “These people are not terrorists, you have caught the wrong people.” Then I started to talk to individuals, such as students that I know, who were sympathetic - everyone has sympathy with the Mujahideen - but if people are saying that these people invaded your country, then they did not. You have to treat them only according to the crime they committed, not a presumption of what happened in New York. No, you are taking revenge. This revenge is not classified in Human Rights international law.

CP: Could you tell us about your role in the proposed military tribunals?

NN: Well, I might be legal counsel for the tribunal. My application has been filed already before the US. I will be participating, but I have not yet received the agreement. I have spoken to the defence team, [Col. Will A.] Gunn [Chief-acting Defence Counsel] and Charlson, and I have told them that I do not recognise their military tribunal as a legal authority, but I have no other choice but to give assistance. If I do not do that, then they [the detainees] will be left, alone. I officially represent Mr Bahlul [Ali Hamza Bahlul], through his father, and also Salim Ahmad Salim [Hamdan], the second Yemeni . I was asked by Charles Swift, his lawyer, to be his legal counsel. For some reason, the acceptance of my application has been delayed by the US authorities; I don’t know why but this has been going for over six months. Mr. [Steven] Kenny [lawyer on behalf of David Hicks' family] and myself have been organising our work, and we will be meeting by end of this week in Sana, Yemen, for a conference with Amnesty International. We will have three days of debate and discussion about the detainees in Guantanamo and the detainees in the Arab states as well.

CP: What would you suggest the average person should do on behalf of the detainees?

NN:Well, the average person could pray firstly and call upon God to release them. Secondly, to do as much as they can, in publicising the issue in the media, and to send letters to the Pentagon and White House, emails to each individual Senate. I have personally sent 420 letters to the Senate and Congress, to chairmen of both Houses, to the White House. The average person could organise petitions in the name of the Muslim community or the Human Rights community.

CP: Finally, what do you think of our website?

NN: Its great! I am following it every day!

Dr Najeeb Al-Nu'aymi, thank you for speaking to us.