U.S. mistakenly detain Algerian man, says lawyer

An Algerian Guantanamo detainee transferred to Algeria on October 8 had been arrested in error by the U.S. and Pakistani authorities, according to his lawyer.

•  “Muammar Amer was mistankely arrested as the U.S. and Pakistani authorities were searching for another terror suspect. He was living in the same building,” lawyer Ramzi Gassem told Echorouk.
•  Amer was one of the two unidentified Guantanamo detainees transferred to other countries including Algeria.
• He was arrested on July 18, 2002 in Peshawar on terror-related charges. He was transferred to Bagram prison in Afghanistan and stayed there for a year.
• “Detention conditions at Bagram were tougher than Guantanamo,” the lawyer said.
• “Amer is expected to be transferred to a court in Algiers,” he added.
• According to the lawyer, there was no evidence against Amer and he has been legally staying in Pakistan since 1990.  
• Amer was suffering from a psychological torture as he was away from his family and detained without any charge. 
• “He expressed to me his wish to come back home and live with his family.  Detention conditions in Guantanamo were better than in Afghanistan,” said his lawyer.