Tungt beväpnade svenskar gripna i Danmark. (Planerade massaker)

DETAINEES IN ETHIOPIA

Swedish Nationals and Residents

There are currently two Swedish nationals, one Swedish resident, the wife of a national
and their children remaining in the Guantánamo style prison in Ethiopia. Flight manifests
uncovered by Muslim Hum Rights Forum in Kenya indicate that all of the individuals had
been detained in Kenya and rendered from there to Somalia. Confirmation of their
further rendition to Ethiopia has been given through the statement of Safia Benaouda
who was present with them in the Ethiopian prison.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry has already declared that it will represent the interests of its
citizens and residents in trying to secure their release and return back to Sweden.

1. Munir Awad and Safia Benaouda

Munir Awad and his fiancé of Safia Benaouda travelled to Dubai in late 2006 for an
extended holiday. Wanting to spend two weeks in another Muslim country the couple
made a plan to go to Somalia for a two week holiday to experience another Muslim
country. Safia recounts,
I love to travel and I was excited about visiting Somalia as it was a new Muslim country
and I wanted to see what that was like. Unfortunately Somalia was not at all as I had
expected it to be, and I did not like it there. I don’t think the Somalis like white people
and I felt uncomfortable being white there. We did not even stay for two weeks in
Mogadishu as we had intended…We were disappointed and we wanted to go home
but we could not because that was when the trouble started.18
Making their way back to Dubai on 24th December 2006, the Ethiopian army launched
its attack on Somalia by bombing the international airport. International flights were
immediately cancelled forcing all foreign nationals looking to leave the country to look
for alternative arrangements to leave. The Swedish Foreign Ministry immediately issued
notices and advised for all Swedish nationals to find embassies in Kenya or Ethiopia.
Families rang their loved ones and explained the advice given. Munir and Safia
heeding the advice made their way to the Somali-Kenyan border to find the Swedish
Embassy fearing to go to Ethiopia due to their hostility against the Islamic government.
Somalis began to offer help to foreigners for a fee in order to escort them to the Kenyan
border and to safety. The couple taking the opportunity travelled with their guides to
Kismayo where many other foreign nationals had also be brought by similar guides as
they all prepared to cross into Kenya to escape the fighting. Munir went with a group of
men towards Kenya as Safia travelled with a separate group of women. They were
both arrested on arriving in Kenya in different groups. Safia explained how there were 3
US soldiers (wearing US military badges and uniform) and 10 Kenyan soldiers who
arrested her group of women and children on the Somali-Kenyan border.
Safia and Munir were once again reunited in Mogadishu and then later in Ethiopia,
however they were not allowed to speak to one another or meet at any point in
Ethiopia until the time that Safia was released to return to Sweden. Munir did not fare
well in the Ethiopian prisons as when she was finally given the opportunity to meet him
before her departure, she saw the signs of beatings and torture at the hands of the
American interrogators. He explained to her that they were giving him a hard time.
18 Statement of Safia Benaouda to Cageprisoners and Reprieve in Stockholm, Sweden 05/04/2007
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2. Osman Ahmed Yassin and Family

Having been detained on the Somali-Kenyan border in Hulugo, Osman Ahmed Yassin a
Swedish citizen, his wife and two children were all rendered from Kenya to Somalia and
finally to Ethiopia. Osman is being in kept in conditions in Ethiopia which are tantamount
to torture and cruel and inhumane degrading treatment. According to Safia
Benaouda, he had been tortured more than most and even though the signs were
quite evident, Swedish intelligence in Ethiopia did not question him about the marks.
The Kenyan Embassy however has continually claimed that it had no knowledge of any
Swedes present in Kenyan prisons, however according to reliable sources in Sweden,
the Swedish Ambassador to Kenya met with Osman while he was being held in Nairobi.
Officers from the Embassy further went into the prisons and provided him with
toothbrushes, soap and vitamins and agreed to meet him the next day, however they
claim that he had been moved when they came the next day. The Embassy has
continually stated that it had no knowledge of Swedish citizens being held in Kenya nor
that they would be rendered to Somalia.

3. Youssef El Haitali

Youssef El Haitali is a Swedish resident married to a Swedish citizen. They had travelled
abroad together with their two young children in order to settle in the Arab world to
look for work. On 18th December 2006 Youssef left his family in Dubai in order to explore
the possibility of moving the family to Somalia however was unsure of the safety of the
country and thus wanted to assess the situation there first.
When he arrived the Union of Islamic Courts was still very much in control, however
everything changed on the 24th December 2006 when Ethiopia invaded Somalia.
Following directions from the Swedish government to go to a neighbouring country with
a Swedish embassy, Youssef went to Kenya where like so many others he was detained.
On 27th January 2007 Youssef managed to make a phone call from Mogadishu to his
wife when he explained that he was in a jail at the airport and needed help to be
returned to Sweden. The next time his wife heard from him was 1st February 2007 when
he explained that prisoners were being transferred and that he was afraid they would
do the same to him. It was not until the 7th February 2007 that the Swedish Ministry of
Foreign Affairs confirmed to her that he had indeed been moved to Ethiopia and they
were waiting for confirmation by the Ethiopian government of that fact.

Statements of Swedish Families:

Safia Benaouda, fiancé of Munir Awad –

I can’t do anything without thinking about him. Everything feels horrible. I feel as
though, how can I eat, sleep when he is still there. I feel ashamed smiling, doing
something nice that I enjoy because he is my best friend. I never ever had a best friend
like Munir. He is my first best friend and someone I trust, someone that I share things with
and who I know will always be there. He always tells me how I am the biggest gift he
has. It makes me feel so special. We are going to have a child and this special bind we
have will get even stronger. We are going to be parents together and I want him to
come home.19
19 Statement of Safia Benaouda to Cageprisoners and Reprieve in Stockholm, Sweden 05/04/2007
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Umm Aisha, wife of Youssef El Haitali –
I’ve lost the confidence to the Swedish government, it feels like they don´t care about
him.20

Recommendations:

• The Swedish government should make full representation on behalf of those citizens
and residents that remain in the prison in Addis Ababa.
• While Osman Ahmed Yassin’s wife and children are not Swedish nationals, Osman
is. The Swedish government should to all steps to expedite a process of citizenship
for the children and mother with the aim to receive the entire family in Sweden.