Al Jazeera Names Former Guantanamo Detainee as News Producer

DOHA, July 3: Sami al Haj,
who was recently released from Guantanamo Bay after six years, has been named
as the news producer of Al Jazeera’s liberties and human-rights affairs desk.

Al Haj will report on
human rights and civil liberties issues through the production of educational
features and documentaries.

“I am thrilled to be
working for Al Jazeera again and to be working on issues that matter so dearly
to me,” al Haj said. “Obviously, the protection of human rights and civil
liberties is extremely important, and I hope to use my new position as a
vehicle to show the world that human-rights abuses still occur all over the
globe. Hopefully, through this work, Al Jazeera can play some role in helping
people around the world who have suffered too long in silence.”

Al Haj was detained in
December 2001 by Pakistani border authorities while attempting to enter the
country on an assignment for Al Jazeera. He was transferred to U.S. military
custody and placed in Guantanamo Bay until he was released in May.

Wadah Khanfar, the
director general of the Al Jazeera Network, said: "We are pleased to have
Sami back at work, performing a role that is very important to Al Jazeera. The
network has always strived to provide a voice to the voiceless and to tell the
story of the weak and abused, and by creating this new position, we are further
demonstrating this commitment. We hope that our work will help those who feel
alone realize that they have friends and allies who care about their plight."

—By Jackie Stewart