FIRST GUANTANAMO RETURNEE'S ACQUITTAL OVERTURNED

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004681 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI AND S/WCI; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM PGOV KISL KCRM KU TERRORISM SUBJECT: FIRST GUANTANAMO RETURNEE'S ACQUITTAL OVERTURNED AS KUWAIT PREPARES TO RECEIVE FIVE MORE REF: A. KUWAIT 02928 ¶B. KUWAIT 1501 ¶1. Local press reports that former Guantanamo detainee Nasser Al-Mutairi has had his acquittal overturned and has been sentenced to five years in prison. The MFA office which tracks returning detainees confirmed that Nasser Al-Mutairi was sentenced to five years in prison, adding the sentence was "five years hard labor." Al-Mutairi was transferred to Kuwaiti custody January 15, 2005, released on bail April 13, acquitted June 29 of charges of working for the interests of a foreign country and those serving it, not obtaining permission to join foreign military forces opposed to another country, and undergoing illegal weapons training. According to the English daily Arab Times, Al-Mutairi is now in the custody of Kuwaiti State Security. ¶2. Reports add that five Guantanamo detainees, Abdul Aziz Al-Shimmari, Mohammad Al-Dihani, Sa'ad Al-Azmi, Adel Al-Zamel, and Abdullah Al-Ajmi, are being released and returned to Kuwait during the Eid holidays, sometime between November 3 and November 7. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON