Two years ago, in an interview with Shamshad, the mother of Mohammad Rahim—an Afghan detainee held at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay detention camp—said her son had been imprisoned for years without any clear information about his case.
According to her, Mohammad Rahim has been held without any fair trial, which she described as a violation of human rights.
Rahim’s mother, Bibi Saifora, said: “He was sitting in his car in Lahore with his wife and children when he was surrounded and arrested by police. He was detained in Pakistan for nine months and subjected to severe mistreatment. My son was only studying and working as a laborer and had no ties to any group. I ask the U.S. authorities to release my son.”
At the same time as the release of an American citizen from an Islamic Emirate prison in Kabul, Mohammad Rahim’s son said in a letter sent to Zalmay Khalilzad that he had urged the United States to free his father.
Meanwhile, Rahim’s defense lawyer, James Connell, who recently met with him, stated that Rahim is an innocent detainee and called on the U.S. government to release him as soon as possible, emphasizing that he poses no threat to the United States.
Connell added that Mohammad Rahim has not yet been given an opportunity to prove his innocence.
The lawyer further said: “Sixty-year-old Mohammad Rahim has been held by the Americans in Guantanamo since 2008, yet no charges have been proven against him. I am working to secure the release of Mohammad Rahim, the only Afghan detainee in Guantanamo.”
Previously, the U.S. Department of State had described the detention of American citizens in Afghanistan as an obstacle to positive engagement between Washington and Kabul. However, questions remain as to whether the release of American detainees will open a new chapter in relations between the two sides.
Political analyst Rohullah Hotak said: “The United States has not presented credible evidence regarding the detention of Afghan citizens, and in most cases, their files have not been fully reviewed. They should be released as soon as possible.”
Experts in international relations believe that the mutual release of detainees by both sides is a positive step toward improving ties between Kabul and Washington.
International relations expert Samir Angar said: “The Islamic Emirate should reach a direct and high-level understanding with the United States, as most such cases are resolved through political decisions, not just legal processes.”
A spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate also told Shamshad that the government has begun efforts to secure Rahim’s release and is engaged in discussions with U.S. officials on the matter.
Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is seeking the release of all its citizens from prisons in other countries. Some of our citizens were taken to Guantanamo under severe aggression and mistreatment. This issue has been consistently raised in meetings with U.S. officials, and we are working to secure his release and return him to his family.”
According to available information, Mohammad Rahim was arrested in 2007 in Lahore, Pakistan, while traveling on a local bus with his wife and four sons. He was later handed over to the United States by Pakistani authorities and transferred to the Guantanamo detention facility.
Reports indicate that over the past approximately 18 years, no clear charges have been proven against him, and he continues to be held without conviction.
