The United States government holds an unknown number of suspected high-level al Qaeda members in undisclosed locations around the world, without revealing their fate or providing access to the International Committee of the Red Cross, families, or legal counsel. Although very little information is available regarding the treatment of these detainees, credible reports indicate that they have been subject to torture and other forms of abuse. These prisoners have, in effect, been “disappeared” – a practice defined under international law and by U.S. courts as arrest, detention, or abduction by state officials or others acting on behalf of the state, followed by the officials’ refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned.
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Allegations of “Disappearances” and Related Cases
Belarus | “Plainclothes officials working for the security services also regularly apprehended and detained individuals engaged in antigovernment demonstrations or who distributed opposition materials. Security officials also held some detainees incommunicado following demonstrations.” |
Burma | “Private citizens and political activists continued to ‘disappear’ for periods ranging from several hours to several weeks or more, and many persons never reappeared.” |
China | “Individuals were often held without notification for significantly longer periods, especially in politically sensitive cases.” This year blind legal activist Chen Guangcheng, attorney Zhu Jiuhu, petitioner advocate Hou Wenzhuo, and writer Yang Maodong (also known as Guo Feixiong) were held without notice. |
Equatorial Guinea | “Navy Commandant Juan Ondo Abaga, former Lieutenant Colonel Florencio Ela Bibang, Felipe Esono Ntumu "Pancho," and Antimo Edu had all disappeared. Abaga, a refugee resident in Benin, allegedly was abducted from Benin by Equatorial Guinean security personnel in January and taken to Black Beach Prison where he allegedly was tortured. Bibang and Ntumu had fled the country in October 2004 and were arrested in Lagos, Nigeria in April along with Edu and held incommunicado, first at the Nigerian Army Intelligence Authority in Lagos and subsequently in the Nigerian State Security Services in Abuja. In July security personnel from the country, with the participation of Nigerian security personnel, reportedly abducted them, transported them to Malabo, and imprisoned them at Black Beach Prison, where they were reportedly severely tortured. When asked about their status, the government claimed to have no record.” |
Ethiopia | “In nearly all cases (of politically motivated disappearances), security forces abducted persons and detained them in undisclosed locations for varying lengths of time ranging from weeks to months.” Thousands of cases surrounded the May election when anti-government protests occurred. |
Indonesia | “In Aceh, 31 civilians and 1 GAM member were kidnapped during the year. . . . On February 14, GAM members allegedly kidnapped four persons, including an eight year-old child, and demanded a ransom. At year's end their whereabouts remained unknown.” |
Nepal | “In some cases individuals disappeared, and their whereabouts remained unknown until much later when the government acknowledged that the individuals were detained. . . . September 4, two 15-year-old girls, Radha Bhusal--first arrested on April 17--and Geeta Nepali--first arrested on May 10--were rearrested after the appellate court ordered their release. Security forces held the youths incommunicado, and allegedly beat and sexually harassed them as suspected Maoists from the date of their initial arrest until June 17 when the government transferred them to Kapilvastu prison.” |
North Korea | “Individuals suspected of political crimes often were taken from their homes by state security officials and sent directly, without trial, to camps for political prisoners. There are no restrictions on the ability of the government to detain and imprison persons at will and to hold them incommunicado.” |
Philippines | “On July 26, a group of suspected military intelligence agents abducted left-wing political activist Armando Barquillo and his associate Lirio de Castro in Tansa, Cavite Province. Their whereabouts remained unknown as of year's end.” |
Russia | “Government involvement in politically motivated disappearances in Chechnya and Ingushetiya,” was noted by the State Department report in 2005. |
Sudan | “There were continued allegations that the government was responsible for politically motivated disappearances, including those of persons suspected of supporting rebels, especially in Darfur. . . . Rebel forces in Darfur reportedly abducted persons, including government officials and humanitarian aid workers.” |
Uzbekistan | “In August Holiqnazar Ganiev, Ezgulik's Samarkand regional chairman, disappeared near his home and was reported missing for several days until he was dropped on a roadside near Samarkand.” |
Zimbabwe | “During the year there were multiple reports of politically motivated kidnapping committed by ZANU-PF supporters and one reported kidnapping committed by MDC supporters.” Furthermore, the report finds that “disappearances in rural areas that were not reported due to fear of retribution by progovernment factions.” |
