[Pnews] Asadullah Haroon Gul cleared for transfer from Guantánamo

[Prisoner News]

Asadullah Haroon Gul cleared for transfer Detained without charge for 14 
years
Reprieve


  *Asadullah Haroon Gul cleared for transfer*


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 14, 2021

Afghan national Asadullah Haroon Gul has been cleared for transfer from 
Guantánamo by the Periodic Review Board.

The Board is comprised of senior officials from six US agencies, 
including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the 
Departments of Defence, Homeland Security, Justice and State. They have 
unanimously concluded that Asadullah does not pose a threat to the USA 
and that he can therefore be released.

Asadullah has been detained without charge by the US since 2007. For the 
first nine years of his captivity, he did not have access to a lawyer, 
despite multiple attempts to seek legal representation.

The U.S. government sought to justify Mr Gul’s indefinite detention by 
accusing him of membership of Hezb-e-Islami (HIA). HIA entered into a 
peace agreement with the Afghan government five years ago.

His habeas corpus petition, filed in 2016, is currently being 
adjudicated by the DC District federal court. His lawyers argue that 
because HIA reached peace there is no legal basis for his continued 
detention. The war is over, requiring release under international law.

Reprieve and Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss have provided legal 
representation to Asadullah in federal court and in the PRB process.

*Asadullah Haroon's lawyer at Reprieve, Mark Maher, said:*

"The board's recommendation is welcome, but we should remember Asadullah 
has spent over 14 years of his life in prison without charge or trial. 
He should have been home long ago, so while his clearance is a relief, 
it is not justice.

"Asadullah missed his daughter's entire childhood. He should be reunited 
with his family as soon as possible, but there is no way to restore what 
has been taken from them."

*Asadullah Haroon's lawyer at Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss, Tara 
Plochocki, said:*

"The recommendation is a helpful first step, but the United States now 
needs to act on it, which they have failed to do with respect to many 
other detainees who have been cleared by the PRB but who continue to 
languish in cells in Guantanamo."

*Notes to Editors:*

1. For more information, please contact Reprieve's Press Office: 
andrew.purcell at reprieve.org.uk or +44 (0)7464 162554


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