United States
CPJ reports on journalist held in GuantanamoPosted Oct 25 2006
Sami Muhyideen al-Haj, an Al-Jazeera cameraman, is the only confirmed journalist now held a Guantanamo Bay. Al-Haj, along with the 450 other detainees at the prison, has been labeled an enemy combatant by the United States government. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that Al-Haj has been held at the prison for almost five years under the basis of secret evidence, but has not been convicted or charged with a crime. CPJ, along with Al-Haj's supporters are calling for a fair trial. Al-Haj was traveling from Pakistan to Afghanistan with an Al-Jazeera reporter to cover the flight of the Taliban from Kandhar when the pair was detained at the border of Afghanistan. A Pakistani border guard said there was a problem with Al-Haj's passport. A day later Al-Haj began a journey that ultimately took him to Guantanamo Bay prison. In its report, CPJ asks, “Was al-Haj a knowing or unwitting conspirator with terrorist groups? Or is he entirely innocent-a journalist plucked from the field while covering the world's biggest story? What crime has he committed? What is the evidence against him? Only a fair and transparent legal process can provide those answers.”
http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2006/DA_fall_06/prisoner/prisoner.html