Case Profile: Shaikh Salman Al Khalifa – Former Guantánamo Prisoners Trapped in Stateless Limbo

Background and Detention

Shaikh Salman Ebrahim Mohamed Ali Al Khalifa, born on July 1979 in Riffa, Bahrain, is a businessman and a second cousin to the King of Bahrain. In 2001, while in Pakistan on business, he was arrested amid the post-9/11 dragnet and handed over to U.S. forces. Like hundreds of others, he was sent to Guantánamo Bay without any evidence, without charge, and without a fair hearing.

At Guantánamo Salman was subjected to prolonged interrogations, isolation, and torture. Though never formally accused of any crime, he endured nearly four years of detention under brutal conditions. In 2005, he was repatriated to Bahrain but his ordeal did not end there.

Return to Bahrain and Stripped Rights

Upon returning to Bahrain, Salman was placed under a travel ban and had his passport confiscated. Despite a court ruling in his favor, the restrictions persisted. In 2013, fearing further persecution, he quietly left the country and relocated to Turkey.

In 2016, the Bahraini government escalated its repression by revoking his citizenship, rendering him stateless. No legal justification was given. This act violated international law and left him without a country, a passport, or the protection of any state.

Surveillance and Imprisonment in Turkey

For several years, Salman tried to rebuild his life in Turkey. But in July 2023, he was arrested for lacking legal documentation. He was never charged with a crime. Turkish intelligence classified him under the G-87 security code, which flags individuals as national threats based on undisclosed intelligence—often without evidence or due process.

He was held in detention for a year. No investigation, no trial, no explanation. He was simply locked away and forgotten.

Released, but Not Free

In July 2024, Salman was released under strict conditions. Turkish authorities required him to report weekly to migration offices and placed him under constant supervision. In May 2025, they delivered a devastating ultimatum: leave the country within two months or face re-detention in a deportation center or prison.

Shaikh Salman has repeatedly sought assistance from the Bahraini government and the Bahraini embassy in Turkey, but received no help or support. CAGE has also contacted the Bahraini authorities directly, as well as the Bahraini embassies in the United States and the United Kingdom, but no response has been given. Despite everything he has endured, Salman’s only wish is simple: to return to Bahrain and live in peace with his family.

But where can he go? He has no passport. He is stateless. Bahrain will not accept him. No other country has offered refuge. He is trapped in legal and political limbo, with his life hanging by a thread.

Living Without a Country

Salman is married and the father of seven children. His family has endured years of instability, fear, and isolation. He suffers from the long-term psychological impacts of torture, imprisonment, and statelessness. His children have grown up without security or a place to call home.

His only "crime" was being in the wrong place at the wrong time—and surviving Guantánamo.

International Law Violations

Salman's case is another example of multiple, compounding human rights violations:
- Torture and arbitrary detention (Guantánamo): in violation of the UN Convention Against Torture and the Geneva Conventions.
- Arbitrary revocation of citizenship: in violation of Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
- Statelessness: in violation of the 1954 Statelessness Convention.
- Detention without due process in Turkey: violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

A Life in Limbo, a Plea for Dignity

Twenty-three years after his initial detention, Shaikh Salman remains caught in the shadow of the so-called "War on Terror." He has no country, no passport, and no legal protection. He cannot work, travel, or even guarantee his freedom.

Salman is not asking for much. He wants what any father, any human being, wants: the right to live in peace, raise his children in safety, and be treated with dignity. He asks the world to recognize his humanity and the deep injustice he continues to endure. 

What You Can Do

CAGE is calling for:
- The restoration of Shaikh Salman’s citizenship by the Bahraini government.
- Legal protection in Turkey and an end to threats of renewed detention.
- UN intervention, particularly by the Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Statelessness.
- Safe resettlement or third-country asylum if return to Bahrain remains impossible.