On 9 January 2016, Fayez Al-Kandari has been repatriated to Kuwait after Fourteen years of detention in Guantanamo without being charged or given fair trial.
On behalf of the team of Al Oula Law, I extend my heartfelt greetings to Kuwait’s returning son and welcome him back to his home country, I also extend my congratulations to His Highness the Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al -Sabah and the parents and family of Fayez for being reunited with their son. We would like to share this victory with the people of Kuwait who greatly supported Fayez’s case demanding his return and at the moment witnessed the arrival of Fayez’s flight to its final destination.
In light of standards of professional transparency which we adopted all through our work in Fayez al-Kandari’s case, it is necessary to point out to all concerned parties specifically to the Kuwaiti Attorney General that detaining Fayez Al-Kandari in the rehabilitation center, located in the central prison, after his release by the US authorities consists a violation to the local laws and regulations, and has no legal grounds or justification. A basic rule is adopted in the legal system that it is illegal to detain any person without charges or legal basis, even if Fayez agreed to be remanded in the rehabilitation center by signing an agreement accepting to do so. Such an agreement is in violation with the local laws, therefore if Fayez agrees to enter the rehabilitation center, it is subject to his own free will.
Fayez al-Kandari has the liberty to choose between heading to his family home or accepting with free will to be remanded in the rehabilitation center.
I reiterate my congratulations to Fayez, his family and the people of Kuwait, on the return of Kuwait’s last detainee at Guantanamo.
Lawyer Adel Abdulhadi