Airat Vakhitov

Airat Vakhitov, also spelled Ayrat Wakhitov or Vahidov ( _tt. Айрат Вахитов|Ayrat Waxitov) is an ethnic Tatar citizen of Russia who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, in Cuba. [http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2005/08/former-gitmo-prisoners-arrested-in.php Former Gitmo prisoners arrested in Russia, rights group says] , "The Jurist", August 31 2005] He was repatriated with six other Russians in February 2004. Fluent in Arabic, Pashto, Farsi sic, Urdu and Russian, he also spoke basic English.Begg, Moazzam. "Enemy Combatant", 2006. pp. 120]

On May 15 2006 the Department of Defense released its first full official list of all the Guantanamo detainees who were held in military custody. [http://www.dod.mil/news/May2006/d20060515%20List.pdf list of prisoners (.pdf)] , "US Department of Defense", May 15 2006] Airat Vakhitov's name is not on that list.The list includes an individual named Aiat Nasimovich Vahitov.who was born on March 27 1977, on Naberezhnye Chelny, Tatarstan, Russia.

Russian authorities releaased the detainees after investigations into whether they had broken any Russian laws.

Vakhitov spoke publicly on June 28 2005 about torture in Guantanamo when he announced he was planning to sue the United States for his mistreatment. [http://en.rian.ru/russia/20050628/40774868.html Russian who was kept at Guantanamo sues U.S. government] , "Rian.ru", June 28 2005] He was invited, by Amnesty International, to speak about Guantanamo torture, in London, on November 2, 2002.

Geidar Dzhemal, chairman of the Islamic Committee of Russia, reported that he was hosting Vakhitov, and another former Guantanamo detainee, Rustam Akhmyarov, following threats by security officials. [http://www.kommersant.com/page.asp?idr=1&id=604420 Russian Talibs Found Through London] , "Kommersnt", August 29 2005] According to Dzhemal the security officials had visited Vakhitov, and warned him that he should only talk about torture in Guantanamo Bay, not Russian torture.Dzhemal reported that security officials subsequently seized Vakhitov and Akhmyarov from his apartment on August 29 2005. He called their seizure a kidnapping because they refused to show their identification. He predicted that the pair would be arrested on trumped up charges, to curtail their human rights activities.

The pair were released from detention on September 2 2005. [http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/09/02/guantanamo.shtml Former Guantanamo Prisoners Freed From Russian Jail] . "Mosnews", September 2 2005]

Airat Vakhitov and other former Taliban prisoners

Airat Vakhitov was one of nine former Taliban prisoners the "Associated Press" pointed out had gone from Taliban custody to American custody.cite news
url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20070630-0908-guantanamo-alwaysaprisoner.html
title=From Taliban jail to Gitmo – hard-luck prisoners tell of unending ordeal
author=Paul Haven
publisher=San Diego Union Tribune
date=June 30, 2007
accessdate=2007-07-01] The Taliban had accused Vakhitov of spying for Russia, and imprisoned him for nearly three years. In Kandahar Airfield, he complained to Cpt. Danner that he had been housed in a more humane prison by the Taliban, where he had been given a radio, fresh fruit and proper toilet facilities.

McClatchy interview

On June 15 2008 the McClatchy News Service published articles based on interviews with 66 former Guantanamo captives. McClatchy reporters interviewed Airat Vakhitov by telephone. cite news
url=http://services.mcclatchyinteractive.com/detainees?page=3
title=Guantanamo Inmate Database: Page 3
publisher=McClatchy News Service
author=Tom Lasseter
date=June 15 2008
accessdate=2008-06-16
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fservices.mcclatchyinteractive.com%2Fdetainees%3Fpage%3D3&date=2008-06-18 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/611/story/491372.html
title=U.S. hasn't apologized to or compensated ex-detainees
publisher=Myrtle Beach Sun
author=Tom Lasseter
date=Wednesday June 18, 2008
accessdate=2008-06-18
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myrtlebeachonline.com%2F611%2Fstory%2F491372.html&date=2008-06-18 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/38771.html
title=Pentagon declined to answer questions about detainees
publisher=McClatchy News Service
author=Tom Lasseter
date=June 15 2008
accessdate=2008-06-20
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcclatchydc.com%2Fhomepage%2Fstory%2F38771.html&date=2008-06-20 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/38776.html
title=Documents undercut Pentagon's denial of routine abuse
publisher=McClatchy News Service
author=Tom Lasseter
date=June 16 2008
accessdate=2008-06-20
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcclatchydc.com%2Fhomepage%2Fstory%2F38776.html&date=2008-06-20 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/38887.html
title=Deck stacked against detainees in legal proceedings
publisher=McClatchy News Service
author=Tom Lasseter
date=June 19 2008
accessdate=2008-06-20
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcclatchydc.com%2Fhomepage%2Fstory%2F38887.html&date=2008-06-20 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/38775.html
title=U.S. abuse of detainees was routine at Afghanistan bases
publisher=McClatchy News Service
author=Tom Lasseter
date=June 16 2008
accessdate=2008-06-20
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mcclatchydc.com%2Fhomepage%2Fstory%2F38775.html&date=2008-06-20 mirror] ] cite news
url=http://detainees.mcclatchydc.com/detainees/30
title=Guantanamo Inmate Database: Airat Vakhitov
publisher=McClatchy News Service
author=Tom Lasseter
date=June 15 2008
accessdate=2008-06-15
quote= [http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdetainees.mcclatchydc.com%2Fdetainees%2F30&date=2008-08-01 mirror] ] Airat Vakhitov told his interviewers he was suffering ongoing mental problems, and that he was worried that if interviewers visited him in person he would be punished by Russian security officials.

Airat Vakhitov was an imam in Tatarstan, who was imprisoned following a general round-up when Russian officials were cracking down on Chechens. He was temporarily freed, and fled Russia when he learned that security officials were looking for him. He said he was kidnapped by the forces of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, and eventually transported to Afghanistan, against his will.

References