Delivered Into Enemy Hands - Human Rights Watch

Sami Mostefa al-Saadi
© 2012 Human Rights Watch
Departure from Libya
Saadi was born in Tripoli on March 21, 1966. His family had a lot of property and business-
es, all of which he said were “misappropriated by the state” by the Gaddafi government.
He left Libya in 1988, in his early 20s, because he said the government was interfering with
his ability to practice his religion and because he generally opposed its oppressive prac-
326 Sami Mostefa al-Saadi’s name is sometimes spelled “es-Saidi” or “Essaadi.” He also went by the names of “Abu Munder,”
sometimes spelled “Abu Munthir” or “Abu Mundir,” and “Hisham Mohamaed.”
327 Human Rights Watch interview with Saadi, Tripoli, Libya, March 14, 2012.
DELIVERED INTO ENEMY HANDS 102
Sami Mostefa al-Saadi
Sami Mostefa al-Saadi (Saadi) 326 left Libya in 1988. He
spent time in Afghanistan, fighting against the Soviet-
installed government. He was, as was Belhadj, a founding
member of the LIFG. Later, rather than go back to Libya,
he sought asylum in the United Kingdom, where he was
granted “indefinite leave to remain.” After a series of
incidents made him feel unsafe there, he returned to
Afghanistan and Pakistan. He eventually became the
LIFG’s law and religious leader. After the September 11
attacks, he fled with his family to Iran and then went to
Malaysia where he tried to seek asylum, failed, and
traveled on to China, where he decided to try to return to
the United Kingdom via Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, he and his family were detained and
ultimately rendered to Libya, with apparent direct US and UK involvement, as corroborated by
the Tripoli Documents.
In Libya, Saadi suffered abusive treatment in custody for five years, during which time he was
interrogated by, in addition to Libyan authorities, persons he believes were US and UK person-
nel. He was charged, given a summary trial, and sentenced to death.
Human Rights Watch interviewed Sami Mostefa al-Saadi in Tripoli on March 14, 2012 as well as
Saadi and his daughter Kadija on March 25, 2012. The following account and quotes are drawn
from the former interview unless otherwise noted. 327