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Abdul Rahim Muslimdost is a Afghan journalist and jeweler who was held in extra judicial detention in the United States.
Muslimdost and his brother were captured on November 17, 2001, and later released on 17 April 2005 with no charges held against him. He has been noted for his poetry still detained by the American government and the lengths he went through to record it, ranging from scratching with a spoon onto polystyrene teacups to using rubbery pens, and has received much esteem in this regard. His account on his stay at Guantanamo, The Broken Chains, is currently being translated into English.
Muslimdost's brother was also a journalist; was also a held in extrajudicial detention in Guantanamo; was also released by the Americans following his Tribunal. Their presence in Guantanamo was discussed in the press prior the Department of Defense released the official list of detainee identities.
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“
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Just as the heart beats in the darkness of the body, so I, despite this cage, continue to beat with life. Those who have no courage or honour consider themselves free, but they are slaves. I am flying on the wings of thought, and so, even in this cage, I know a greater freedom.
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”
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—Abdul Rahim Muslim Dost
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Abdul Rahim Muslimdost was one of the 38 captives the Bush Presidency determined had not been enemy combatants after all. The Department of Defense refers to these men.
Abdul Rahim Muslimdost was freed on April 20, 2005 with sixteen other Afghans whose Tribunals had determined they were not enemy combatants. The reports stated that the Chief Justice warned the cleared men that a candid description of their detention could damage the chances of other Afghan captives to be released.
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"Don't tell these people the stories of your time in prison because the government is trying to secure the release of others, and it may harm the release of your friends."
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Abdul Rahim Muslimdost was one of the three captives who chose to address the Press.Carlotta Gall described him as openly disagreeing with the Chief Justice as to whether any Afghans should have been sent to Guantanamo:
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"If we have the government, our government should bring the criminals here. They should be imprisoned here and should be punished here. Why were the Afghans given to the Americans?"
"We spent more than 3½ years there. If there is a government and a Supreme Court in Afghanistan, why did nobody ask about our situation? If we were guilty we ought to have been brought to stand trial here. Why should America be allowed to ask us questions and interrogate us?"
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Both reports quoted Chief Justice Fazil Hadi Shinwari distinguishing three categories of captives
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"There are three kinds of prisoners in Guantanamo. There are those that have committed crimes and should be there, then there are people who were falsely denounced, and third there are those who are there because of the mistakes of the Americans."
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