Ahmed Belbacha
19 September 2007, 04:21PM
What happens when you are freed from Guantanamo but you can't go home?
Ahmed Belbacha fled his home in Algeria in 1999 fleeing the violent and horrific civil war which pitted extreme Islamic groups against the government of Algeria. Because Mr. Belbacha was employed by the government, and reportedly a damn good soccer player, he reportedly received threats on his life from the extreme Islamic groups who were murdering government employees regardless of soccer ability. Then Mr. Belbacha fled to majestic England.
In England Mr. Belbacha applied for asylum. In 2001 he took a six month trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan where his life would once again be changed. In December 2001 he was apprehended by villagers near Peshawar, in northwest Pakistan after returning from Afghanistan, because the US military campaign commenced in Afghanistan. From then on Mr. Belbacha was in the custody of the US, who were going to take him to their secluded island retreat.
He was sent to Guantanamo Bay detention center about which many informative articles have been written, and don't forget the treatment that people have received there. Mr. Belbacha's asylum application in England was denied because he was currently in the custody of the United States Government and on his way to Cuba.
But this was only the beginning of Ahmed Belbacha's vacation problems. After the many years Mr. Belbacha spent chained up like an animal in this 'resort island paradise', the government of the United States declared Mr. Belbacha "no longer a threat".
This paved the way for his release from Club Gitmo, which presented problems for Mr. Belbacha and the American government. The UK has not accepted Ahmed Belbacha's request to return to their country because he is not a citizen, due to the fact that he missed his court date, because his vacation plans changed when the American government decided to give him an all expenses paid trip to Club Gitmo. America is planning on sending Mr. Belbacha back to Algeria with the undeserved and false label of terrorist that will stick with him probably for the rest of his life, although he was never charged with any crimes in relation to terrorism. Upon his return to Algeria, Ahmed Belbacha will have two outcomes potentially ahead of him.
The first could be he gets killed by the same radical Islamic group that he originally fled to England to seek asylum from.
The second may be he will be rounded up by government forces in Algeria and subjected to imprisonment and torture.
Mr. Belbacha fled Algeria seeking asylum because he feared for his life, now after being illegally detained, tortured, imprisoned, refused any judicial remedies and being repeatedly and falsely labeled a terrorist, he will be returned to Algeria and will likely be imprisoned, tortured or killed.
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