Guantánamo Torture Survivor Mohammed al-Qahtani Cleared For Transfer!

Mohammed was severely mentally ill long before he was unlawfully rendered to Guantánamo in 2002.

Last week, in our case al Qahtani v. Obama, the government made public that, based on his psychiatric condition, Mohammed al-Qahtani has been cleared for transfer from the prison at Guantánamo where he has been detained without fair process for the last 20 years.

Washington – January 11, 2019: Witness Against Torture activists demonstrating at the White House calling for the closing of the Guantánamo Bay detention camp on the 17th anniversary of its opening.

Mohammed was severely mentally ill long before he was unlawfully rendered to Guantánamo in 2002. Despite the severity of his illness, Mohammed has never posed a risk to anyone but himself. In recent years the voices in his head have increasingly told him to harm himself—by doing things like swallowing broken glass and not disclosing it to his doctors—making his transfer out of Guantánamo an urgent matter.

This announcement reflects a reality that our client will always live with: Mohammed al-Qahtani has, for his entire adult life, been schizophrenic.

We are hopeful that Mohammed’s torment will be lessened when he is in the care of trusted psychiatrists who speak his native language, far from the scene of his torture, and where he can receive vital support from his family.

To learn more about Mohammed al-Qahtani, visit his profile on our website. For more on the latest developments in his case, visit our website for his counsel’s statement. While you’re there, check out our case page.