Nizar Sassi

Nizar Sassi (born August 1, 1979) is a citizen of France who was detained by the United States in their Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.^[1] His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 325.^[2]

Sassi was transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2002. He was repatriated to France on July 27, 2004.^[3] Sassis remained in French custody until January 9, 2006. Although originally convicted in France, his trial was overturned and he was released in February 2009.^[4]

Sassi worked for the Vénissieux Council.^[5] Vénissieux is a suburb of Lyon, France.

According to his brother, Aymen, Nizar traveled to Pakistan to learn formal Arabic.^[6]

Security authorities claim Sassi travelled to Afghanistan in 2001 at the direction of, an alleged al-Qaeda recruiter.^[7] Mourad Benchellali and Sassi are alleged to have traveled to Afghanistan on forged passports.^[8]

Nizar Sassi and four other men stood trial on terrorism charges upon their return to France.^[9] The five men's convictions were overturned in February 2009, because they had improperly been interviewed by France's intelligence officials, who were not authorized to act in a law enforcement role. On February 17, 2010, the Court of Cassation, a higher court, ordered a re-trial of the five men.

^ Guantanamo man finally freed Archived 2007-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, News24, January 11, 2004
^ list of prisoners (.pdf), US Department of Defense, May 15, 2006
^ "Transfer of French Detainees Complete". US Department of Defense. 2004-07-27. Archived from the original on 2004-10-31. Retrieved 2014-02-28. The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred four detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the control of the government of France. These detainees are French nationals.
^ The New York Times, Terror convictions overturned in France, February 24, 2009
^ Mr. Aymen Sassi, Brother of Nizar Sassi, American Civil Liberties Union, March 9, 2004
^ Relatives of detainees at Guantanamo tell of fear, anger: Families are in the US to put a face to what they say is the unlawful detention of suspected terrorists in Cuba, Taipei Times, March 9, 2004
^ Nizar Sassi: A French Detainee Waiting to Return Home Archived 2015-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, Medill School of Journalism
^ Remand for French Guantanamo four, The Washington Post, August 1, 2004
^ Nicolas Vaux-Montagny (2010-02-17). "France orders 5 former Gitmo inmates back to court". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24.

[News24-060111-1] Guantanamo man finally freed Archived 2007-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, News24, January 11, 2004

[DoDList-2] st of prisoners (.pdf), US Department of Defense, May 15, 2006

[DoD2004-07-27-3] "Transfer of French Detainees Complete". US Department of Defense. 2004-07-27. Archived from the original on 2004-10-31. Retrieved 2014-02-28. The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred four detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the control of the government of France. These detainees are French nationals.

[nytimes-4] The New York Times, Terror convictions overturned in France, February 24, 2009

[Aclu-5] Mr. Aymen Sassi, Brother of Nizar Sassi, American Civil Liberties Union, March 9, 2004

[Taipei040309-6] Relatives of detainees at Guantanamo tell of fear, anger: Families are in the US to put a face to what they say is the unlawful detention of suspected terrorists in Cuba, Taipei Times, March 9, 2004

[medill2-7] Nizar Sassi: A French Detainee Waiting to Return Home Archived 2015-12-26 at the Wayback Machine, Medill School of Journalism

[Bbc040801-8] Remand for French Guantanamo four, The Washington Post, August 1, 2004

[AssociatedPress2010-02-17-9] Nicolas Vaux-Montagny (2010-02-17). "France orders 5 former Gitmo inmates back to court". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2024-05-24.

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