Abu Zubaydah undergoes detention review at Guantanamo Bay

Abu Zubaydah, a man held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison for 20 years without charges, appeared at a hearing to review his detention. A U.S. government official stated that Zubaydah “probably” served as one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted facilitators.

Zubaydah’s legal team acknowledged his association with bin Laden but argued he was never a member of the militant group founded by the 9/11 mastermind. His attorney, Annika Conrad, stated that Zubaydah poses no security threat to the United States and argued for his transfer out of the facility. Conrad noted that Zubaydah has rejected extremist views and is willing to accept security measures, such as continuous monitoring, upon release.

The hearing provided rare visibility into the secretive military court proceedings. It comes 25 years after the September 11 attacks and follows reports that Zubaydah was subjected to torture at CIA black sites during the war on terrorism. A chief military prosecutor has indicated it is unlikely Zubaydah will face charges.