US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1627

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001627 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2015 
TAGS: PTER, KAWC, PREL, PHUM, PINR, BA 
SUBJECT: THREE BAHRAINI DETAINEES ARRIVE, RELEASED AFTER 
QUESTIONING 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe.  Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d) 
 
1. (C) Three Bahraini Guantanamo detainees, approved for 
transfer back to Bahrain, arrived in Bahrain at 9:15 AM 
November 5 via USG transportation.  Upon arrival at the 
airport, the three  -- Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Mohammed Ali Al 
Khalifa, Adil Kamil Abdullah Al Wadi, and Abdullah Al Noaimi 
-- were transferred without incident to the office of the 
public prosecutor for questioning.  At 12:30 PM on November 
5, Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Al Khalifa called the 
Ambassador to say that the Attorney General had determined 
that, based on the initial interrogation, the three would be 
released to their homes "on the guarantee of their home 
address."  Asked the legal significance of that, Shaikh 
Khalid said that they would not be under house arrest but 
would be kept under 24-hour surveillance (both movements and 
communications), would not be allowed to leave the country 
(their passports would be held), and would be called in for 
further questioning.  While they have not been charged, he 
said, they would be treated as if they had been charged with 
a crime. 
 
2. (C) Separately, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 
Mohammed Abdel Ghaffar called the Ambassador November 5 to 
say that he had met the night before with the families of the 
three returned detainees, as well as leading advocates on 
behalf of the detainees (including members of the Council of 
Representatives and Shura Council) to urge a calm and 
measured reaction to the news of the return of the three 
detainees (and the continued detention of the remaining 
three).  He told the families that they and their returned 
detainees should maintain a low public profile, including 
with the press.  He said that the detainees would be handled 
in a professional and legal way, and that emphasis would be 
placed on psychological help and rehabilitation. 
MONROE