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Former high-value CIA detainee dies in Libya prison

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A former high-value US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) detainee died in a Libyan prison Tuesday. Ali Mohamed Abdelaziz al Fakhiri, also known as Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, apparently committed suicide in his cell at al Saleem prison. The Bush administration cited al-Libi as the source of the flawed pre-Iraq war intelligence that Saddam Hussein provided weapons training to members of al Qaeda. Al-Libi later claimed he fabricated the allegations because he was abused by Egyptian interrogators. Al-Libi was also a commander of the Khalden training camp in Afghanistan and was named as a potential witness for the defense in US terrorism trials. However, since he was formerly part of the US secret extraordinary rendition program, it was never officially confirmed he was in Libyan custody. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for an investigation into al-Libi's death. The circumstances of al-Libi's death renew concerns about US links to nations with questionable human rights records, especially concerning the custody of high-value detainees facing terrorism charges. Libya has a mixed human rights record in recent years. Under international pressure, they released two political prisoners convicted of a plan to overthrow the government of Libya. Relations between Libya and the US are improving, though the State Department recently criticised Libya for its continued detention of political prisoners in its 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. In 2008, the US and Libya reached an agreement to settle all pending lawsuits brought by US terror victims against Libya. In 2004, the US lifted the remaining sanctions against Libya as a reward for its agreement to dismantle its weapons programs. At the same time, Libya faced international criticism for its treatment of six foreign medics accused infecting hospital patients with HIV in 2007.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on May 13, 2009 (boomark / email).