Additional Coverage:
- 2 Afghans who were detained at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years have been released, the Taliban say (newsbreak.com)
In a remarkable turn of events that underscores the complex interplay of diplomacy and international law, two Afghan nationals, who once found themselves trapped in the infamous corridors of Guantanamo Bay, have regained their freedom after a staggering 21 years. Their release from house arrest in Oman marks the end of an arduous journey, one that began amidst the shadows of the global war on terror and concluded with the efforts of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This story, while a personal triumph for the individuals involved, also presents a compelling chapter in the broader narrative of Guantanamo’s controversial legacy.
The two men, known only by their first names, Saber and Karim, were engulfed by the sweeping tides of the U.S. response to 9/11 when they were detained under accusations of ties to al-Qaida and the Taliban. Their long road to freedom began in Guantanamo Bay, a facility that became synonymous with the post-9/11 era’s heated debates over security, human rights, and the rule of law. Guantanamo was opened in 2002, symbolizing a potent, tangible artifact of America’s global war on terror, intended to house and interrogate suspects away from the conventional confines of U.S. legal jurisdiction.
For Saber and Karim, their years in Guantanamo were but a chapter in their prolonged deprivation of liberty. In 2017, after enduring 14 and 15 years, respectively, of detention without charge, they were transferred to Oman. The Sultanate agreed to house them under a form of house arrest, a decision that was seen as a compromise, balancing the men’s right to freedom with the security concerns that initially led to their detention. Saber, hailing from Logar province, was seized in 2002, while Karim’s journey began with his arrest in Pakistan in 2003, before he, too, was sent to Guantanamo the following year.
Their release was lauded by the Taliban, whose spokesperson did not hesitate to attribute this outcome to the persistent endeavors of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. This development, underscored by plans for an official welcome ceremony in Kabul, signals not just the end of a personal ordeal for the two men but also hints at the intricate diplomatic ballet that the Taliban government is willing to engage in. The gesture of welcoming them back, amplified by shared photos of the released prisoners, symbolizes a potent mix of victory and challenge to the narratives that have long dominated the discourse around Guantanamo.
This story, while it carries the weight of legal and geopolitical implications, at its heart remains deeply personal. For Saber and Karim, the transition from the grim reality of Guantanamo to house arrest in Oman, and finally to the prospect of stepping back onto Afghan soil, embodies a journey back from the edge of a world that many have forgotten. Their tale asks us to reflect on the measures taken in the name of national security, the lives irreversibly altered in the process, and the long shadow cast by Guantanamo Bay on the fabric of international human rights law.