Niam Kuchi

Niam Kuchi is a citizen of Afghanistan who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps in Cuba.[1] His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 931. Joint Task Force Guantanamo estimate that he was born in 1940 in Logar, Afghanistan.

Haji Naeem Kochai
Born1940 (age 80–81)
ArrestedJanuary 1, 2003
Nangahar Province
CitizenshipAfghanistan
Detained atGuantanamo
ISN931
Charge(s)No charge (extrajudicial detention)
StatusRepatriated

Kuchi is a senior tribal leader within Afghanistan's Kuchis ethnic group.[2] During former President Burhanuddin Rabbani's government (1992–1996), Niam Kuchi became Deputy Minister for Tribal Affairs. He also became the governor of Bamiyan province during Taliban's regime. The Edmonton Sun described him as the Kuchis' "best known leader."[3]

Release

According to medical records published on March 15, 2007, Kuchi's "in-process date" was March 23, 2003.[4] Records show that Kuchi was 69 inches tall and his weight ranged from 175 pounds when he arrive to 185 pounds. Nine weights were recorded, his weight upon his arrival in March 2003, and a monthly weigh-in from January to August 2004.

Kuchi was repatriated on September 18, 2004, seven weeks after the Office for the Administrative Review of Detained Enemy Combatants began convening Combatant Status Review Tribunal, but no CSR Tribunal was convened to review his status.[5][6] Dawd Gul, one of the other nine Afghan captives repatriated that day, had had a CSR Tribunal prior to his repatriation.

McClatchy interview

On June 15, 2008, the McClatchy News Service published articles based on interviews with 66 former Guantanamo captives. McClatchy reporters interviewed Niam Kuchi.[2][7][8][9][10][11][12] He declined—twice—to be interviewed by McClatchy reporters. When reporters showed up at his house, without invitation, he told reporters that he got depressed after speaking about Guantanamo. He also told them he suffered from headaches and hypertension arising from the conditions of his detention.

The McClatchy report states that other sources told them that Kuchi was a senior leader in the Ahmadzai tribe,[2] which is known as the biggest Pashtun tribe. Thus, many Afghans consider him as the most influential and legitimate Afghan leader.

Since his repatriation, Kuchi has worked with national peace and reconciliation efforts.[2]

The McClatchy report states that when Americans apprehended him on January 1, 2003, hundreds of members of his tribe came to Kabul to protest. The USA has offered no explanation for his apprehension.

References
  1. "List of Individuals Detained by the Department of Defense at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from January 2002 through May 15, 2006" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. Retrieved 2006-05-15.
  2. Tom Lasseter (June 15, 2008). "Guantanamo Inmate Database: Naim Kochi". McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  3. Archie McLean (2009-03-06). "Afghan nomads now tied to a desperate land". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on 2009-03-15. Retrieved 2009-03-15.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. JTF-GTMO (2006-03-16). "Heights, weights, and in-processing dates". Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 2008-12-25. Retrieved 2008-12-25.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. OARDEC (April 20, 2006). "list of prisoners" (PDF). United States Department of Defense. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
  6. OARDEC (2008-10-09). "Consolidate chronological listing of GTMO detainees released, transferred or deceased" (PDF). Department of Defense. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-27. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  7. Tom Lasseter (June 15, 2008). "Guantanamo Inmate Database: Page 4". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on June 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
  8. Tom Lasseter (June 18, 2008). "U.S. hasn't apologized to or compensated ex-detainees". Myrtle Beach Sun. Archived from the original on June 18, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  9. Tom Lasseter (June 15, 2008). "Pentagon declined to answer questions about detainees". McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-20.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. Tom Lasseter (June 16, 2008). "Documents undercut Pentagon's denial of routine abuse". McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-20.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. Tom Lasseter (June 19, 2008). "Deck stacked against detainees in legal proceedings". McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-20.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. Tom Lasseter (June 16, 2008). "U.S. abuse of detainees was routine at Afghanistan bases". McClatchy News Service. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-20.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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