Methodology

This report is based on interviews with three Yemenis formerly detained at Guantanamo, relatives of current and former Yemeni prisoners at Guantanamo and Bagram Air Base, and more than two dozen Yemeni and US lawyers, human rights activists, political analysts, legislators and journalists. Human Rights Watch also interviewed a number of US State Department officials and senior Yemeni officials. 

Two Human Rights Watch staff members conducted most of the interviews during a two-week mission to Yemen in December 2008. Human Rights Watch supplemented field research with telephone and e-mail interviews, court papers, US and Yemeni government documents, and media reports.

Human Rights Watch has used pseudonyms for former detainees and omitted some details of their experiences to protect them from possible retaliation.