JEDDAH, 9 November 2005 — Majed Afas Al-Shammari, released from the notorious US detention camp in Guantanamo recently, finally met with his family in Riyadh after five years.
Saudi authorities arranged that Al-Shammari met his mother, brothers, sisters wife and two daughters at Al-Hair Prison in the capital, his brother Saif told Arab News.
“The meeting was arranged at the guests section of the prison. The prison authorities supplied dinner for all the family members. They also gave SR2,000 each to Al-Shammari’s mother and wife,” he said.
Saif, who works as an army officer, said the government had arranged for the transportation and accommodation of the family in Riyadh.
“The prison authorities also provided gifts and sweets to Majed’s daughters Raghed and Hager,” Saif said in a telephone interview with Arab News.
“Our family is grateful to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and all the other officials who enabled us to meet our brother Majed after five years of separation,” he said. Al-Shammari has three brothers and seven sisters.
The Al-Shammari family was happy at Majed’s release and return from Guantanamo, where US authorities still hold 120 Saudis among some 600 inmates from around the world. They have been in detention without trial since 2002. The camp in Guantanamo was opened shortly after the US-led war in Afghanistan began in late 2001.
Saif said his brother Majed had only primary education and worked for the Kuwaiti Army from 1992 to 2000.
“When he lost that job he became depressed as he did not know how to meet the daily expenses of his family,” he explained. Majed later traveled to Afghanistan, where he was arrested and then taken to Guantanamo by US authorities.
“We were very happy to see him in good health. He has gained weight,” Saif said. “We asked him about the letters we sent to Guantanamo. Majed said he rarely got them, adding that he was kept isolated from the world.”
However, Al-Shammari confirmed that he was not physically tortured in Guantanamo where many inmates reportedly suffered torture.
Majed’s brother-in-law, Mutlak Al-Shammari, was also present at the three-hour-long family meeting in Riyadh. “We will have a second meeting with Majed today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and leave Riyadh on Thursday,” Saif said.
