Delivered Into Enemy Hands - Human Rights Watch

was sentenced to death). The United States also provided the name and telephone
numbers for Hong Kong’s principal secretary for security. 341
After the Hong Kong authorities received this information, it appears they agreed to allow
the non-Libyan registered charter aircraft to land. Also in the Tripoli Documents, in the
folder marked “USA,” a fax sent just two days before Saadi arrived in Libya contains a
cover page marked “Hong Kong Landing Requirements” and two pages stamped “confidential.”
It states that in order for the “Non-Scheduled Flight to land in Hong Kong,” the
Libyan government has to comply with “certain regulations” so that a “Permission to Land”
can be issued. 342 It also confirms, “[i]t is agreed that the subject person will be moved
together with his whole family (a total of six persons) on board of the same flight” and
recommends a “local Aircraft Handling Agent” for the transaction who needs to be paid in
“cash (in US dollars).” 343 Saadi was transferred around March 28, 2004, just a few days
after Tony Blair’s historic first visit to Libya on March 25. 344
Treatment in Libya
Three days later, Saadi and his family were put aboard a private, Egyptian-registered jet
and flown to Tripoli. When they landed, Saadi said he and his wife were both hooded in
front of their children. Local authorities took them to the External Security Office of Amn
Kharihi prison in Tajoura, where they were separated. Saadi’s wife and children were held
at the facility for two months before being released. Saadi was detained for six years and
only saw his family sporadically. 345
Saadi said that the day after he arrived on March 28, 2004, Musa Kusa, the head of the
Libyan intelligence service, came to his cell and said, “Before 9/11, you went to countries
where we couldn’t reach you. But now, after 9/11, I can just pick up the phone and call MI6
or the CIA right away and they will provide us with the most recent or up to date information
on you.” 346
341 Tripoli Documents 2162-2163.
342 Tripoli Documents 2156-2158.
343 Ibid.
344 Human Rights Watch interview with Saadi, Tripoli, Libya, March 14, 2012.
345 Ibid.
346 Ibid.
107 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2012