Gitmo prisoner Slahi tells brother he wants to return to Germany
A Guantanamo Bay prisoner who admitted - under torture - to having organised trips to Afghan training camps for aspiring Jihadists including three of those involved in the 9/11 attacks, says he wants to return to Germany if he is released.
Mohamedou Ould Slahi, 39, who comes from Mauretania but lived and studied in Duisburg and Essen between 1988 and 1999, told his brother, who lives in Düsseldorf, he wanted to come back to Germany.
Der Spiegel reported that the brother, Yahdih Ould Slahi, received an hour-long phone call from Guantanamo Bay, in which Slahi said he would be asking to return to Germany if he was released.
Slahi is seen as one of the most high-profile prisoners held in the notorious prison due to his admission to a string of allegations after being subjected to sleep deprivation, constant noise, sexual humiliation and threats against his mother.
These allegations included recruited Islamists and arranging for 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta to visit a training camp in Afghanistan.
He later retracted all his admissions, writing in a letter that he simply said yes to everything that was put to him, to stop the torture.
Military prosecutor Stuart Couch, who was expected to lead a case against Slahi, dropped the case in 2004 due to what he described as ‘cruel and inhumane’ treatment.
Since then Slahi has been held in Guantanamo Bay prison awaiting some kind of legal process – albeit in a cell kitted out with privileges such as a television and computer.
He is one of up to 70 prisoners currently held in the prison for which the US government has no plan.
He was arrested while in Mauritania where he was working in the IT industry. Slahi told his brother he would like to remain in that industry, but would prefer to work and live in Germany.
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Mohamedou Ould Slahi, 39, who comes from Mauretania but lived and studied in Duisburg and Essen between 1988 and 1999, told his brother, who lives in Düsseldorf, he wanted to come back to Germany.
Der Spiegel reported that the brother, Yahdih Ould Slahi, received an hour-long phone call from Guantanamo Bay, in which Slahi said he would be asking to return to Germany if he was released.
Slahi is seen as one of the most high-profile prisoners held in the notorious prison due to his admission to a string of allegations after being subjected to sleep deprivation, constant noise, sexual humiliation and threats against his mother.
These allegations included recruited Islamists and arranging for 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta to visit a training camp in Afghanistan.
He later retracted all his admissions, writing in a letter that he simply said yes to everything that was put to him, to stop the torture.
Military prosecutor Stuart Couch, who was expected to lead a case against Slahi, dropped the case in 2004 due to what he described as ‘cruel and inhumane’ treatment.
Since then Slahi has been held in Guantanamo Bay prison awaiting some kind of legal process – albeit in a cell kitted out with privileges such as a television and computer.
He is one of up to 70 prisoners currently held in the prison for which the US government has no plan.
He was arrested while in Mauritania where he was working in the IT industry. Slahi told his brother he would like to remain in that industry, but would prefer to work and live in Germany.
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