Guantanamo Detainee Profile

UNCLASSIFIED Approved for Public Release

18 MARCH 2016 GUANTANAMO DETAINEE PROFILE

Detainee ISN : USERS 000702DP

DetaineeISN 000702DP DetaineeName RavilKamilevichMingazov

DetaineeAliases RaweelKamil, Sa'id al- Rusi, Saeed, Raweil, Saad, Jabran Sa'ad Wazir

Nationality Russian

Date of Birth 5 December 1967 Arrival at Guantanamo October 2002 RavilKamilevich Mingazov (RS-702 ) is an ethnic Tatar from Russia with ties to the al-Qa'ida-affiliated Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan ( IMU) and a group called Tatar Jama'at . RS-702 served in the Russian military as a logistics warrant officer from 1989-2000, when he resigned over what he characterized as the Russian Government's treatment of Muslims. His feelings on this subject likely led him to seek out extremist groups . RS-702 probably joined the IMU and trained in Tajikistan until early 2001, when the group was forced to leave and collectively traveled to Afghanistan . By mid - 2001, RS-702 had probably joined the Tatar Jama'at group , which took a strong position against Russia's policies towards Muslims.

In mid-2001 RS-702 probably attended several training camps in Afghanistan where he learned to make explosives , poisons , and chemical grenades . RS-702 has admitted to fighting with the Taliban against the Northern Alliance , but said he did not fight against Americans . Due to his inability to communicate in any language other than Russian , he probably did not hold any positions of authority in Afghanistan . RS-702 fled to Pakistan in January 2002 , where he stayed at a series of al -Qa'ida affiliated - safehouses making his way to Faisalabad , where hewas arrested at a safehouse associated with senior al -Qa'ida facilitator Abu Zubaydah . Based on information following his arrest , he was known to have some experience in dealing with different types of explosives . We have no information from other detainees on RS-702's pre-detention activities .

RS-702 has been mostly compliant with the guard force at Guantanamo , with a relatively low number of infractions compared to other detainees , according to Joint Task Force-Guantanamo (JTF -GTMO ) reporting . Despite being open with interviewers about his time in Russia, RS-702 has provided few and contradictory details about his time in Afghanistan and the circumstances that led to his arrest in an al- Qa'ida -affiliated safehouse .

RS-702 maintains a strong disdain for the Russian Government and does not want to be repatriated , claiming his treatment in Guantanamo is better than the treatment he received in Russia. He probably also fears facing criminal charges that the Russian Government has levied against him . Iftransferred back to Russia and not charged with a crime , RS-702 would probably live with his mother in Tatarstan until he becomes self -sufficient, and then seek to leave Russia. Although he does not have any direct connections to known terrorists at large, RS-702's attitude towards the Russian Government could lead him to seek out individuals with a similar mindset, and he has discussed returning to the fight against Russia .

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PERIODICREVIEWBOARDINITIALHEARING, 21JUNE 2016 RAVIL MINGAZOV, ISN 702 PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OPENING STATEMENT

Good morningladies and gentlemen of the Board. As the Personal Representative for Ravil Mingazov (ISN 702) I would liketo thank the Board for allowing me this opportunity to demonstrate how Ravilis no longer a continuing significant threat to the United States.

Ravil is a Russian Tartar, a religious and ethnic minority group from the Tartarstan region of Russia. He grew up in a lovingfamily and led an active life, ultimately becominga professional level ballet dancer prior to being conscripted into the Russian military like most young men. During his time in the Russian military, Ravil never trained for combat duty. Actually, his first two years of service were part ofa military ballet troupe. Following this , he served in support roles performing passport control on the border with Mongolia and then managingall food, logistics, and cooking for a base ofaround fifteen hundred people.

During time in the Russianmilitary, he became increasingly bothered that he was not allowed to observe basic tenets ofthe Islamic faith while on duty, such as pray or eat halal food . His attempt to peacefully engage military and civilian political leadership on this issue started a chain of events that eventually drove him to leave Russia and seek an Islamic country where he his family could more freely practice their religion. While traveling from Russia to Tajikistan, his young son became very ill, so his wife was forced to return to Russia with their son to seek medical care. The Tajikistan government eventually relocated Ravil and many other foreigners out ofthe country, leadingto his arrivalin Afghanistan. Ravil never fit in with any group due to suspicionofhis Russian background. He survived by performingmenial tasks and moving often. Following the onset of coalition operations, hejoined the waves ofpeople fleeing Afghanistan, eventually crossing into Pakistan where he was detained at a guest house.

While at Guantanamo, Ravil has been a compliant detainee who has never taken part in any non religious fasting, even when most other detainees participated. Ravil took numerous classes in Life Skills, Arabic, and Arabic to English. Despite the language barrier with other detainees, Ravil developed close friendships at Guantanamo, due in large part to his calm, friendly demeanor. Ravil desperately wants to re - connect with his only son, now a teenager with no memory ofhis father prior to detention. Ravil's son, ex -wife and other in-laws currently live in the United Kingdom under political asylum and have written numerous letters pledgingto support Ravil upon his release. Ravil holds no grudges against the United States and, in fact, greatly admires the religious freedom that America offers. Ravil is prepared to answer all of your questions truthfully and respectfully in order to demonstrate he is not a continuing significant threat to the United States. Thank you.

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PERIODICREVIEW BOARD INITIAL HEARINGOF JUNE 21, 2016

STATEMENT BY GARY THOMPSON PERSONAL COUNSEL FOR RAVIL MINGAZOV ( ISN 702)

Dear Membersofthe Periodic Review Board:

Thank you for accepting this statement from me as Personal Counsel (PC) in this PRB hearingfor Guantanamodetainee Ravil Mingazov. I am a private, pro bono attorney from the law firm of Reed Smith LLP in Washington, D.C.(where I serve as the D.C. office managing partner). I have been practicing law for 26 years, always with time for pro bono cases of many kinds. In 2005, my firm accepted several detainee representations for their respective habeas corpus cases. At the time, a former Marine officer (Doug Spaulding) and Army officer (Bernie Casey) took the cases and I was pleased to join them. Since 2007, I have traveled to Guantanamo many times and spent many days meeting with Ravil With Doug and Bernie now retired, I havebecomethe leadcounsel, includingas PC inthis hearing. I fully understand and appreciate the issue being considered by this panel - whether Ravil, ifreleased, would be a to anyone taking into account security measures by the receiving country). My background allowing me to comment on this matter includes my in-person meetings with Ravil over the last 10 years, letters exchanged, and also calls, Skype, and letters exchanged with Ravil's mother, former wife, and son. I am also very familiar with all of the evidence concerning Ravil, including as presented in his habeas case ( presently still active, on appeal by the government), although ofcourse I do not comment herein on any of that evidence or allegations. Please appreciate that I have thought and reflected long and hard on the issue over the course of many years, and most recently, during my usual ultra- long-distance runs. This is my considered conclusion: believe and know Ravil to be a kind and peaceful man who, if released, will do no harm to anyone. He will live the rest of his days as a devout and peaceful Muslim, a loving father and family member, a good son to his mother ( for her remainingdays), cheerfulfriend to all those around him, a physically and mentally healthy person, and a productive employee in any numberof jobs that he would eagerly take.

1 Approved for Public Release UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED Approvedfor Public Release Ravil's son and other family members now residing in Nottingham England would receive Ravil with open arms assuming, we hope, United Kingdom sees fit to accept an asylum petition). They will give him a bed and use ofan apartment, feed him, care for him, help him transition, and help him find gainful employment. The United Kingdom, ofcourse, would providethe highest levels of security assurances. With respect to Ravil and his peacefulness, I have come to these conclusions because I have observed his character many years. Ravil has always greeted us, first and foremost, as his friends. He has never been impatient or hostile with us personally in any way. On the contrary, almost without exception, Ravil has been kind, cheerful, and humorous something that is extraordinary to us given his long imprisonment. More I have never heard Ravil lash out or say anything negative or threatening about anyone not about any guard, officer, fellow detainee, any American leader, or anyone. When discussing Russian politics, Ravil does so with a keen and deep understandingofthe issues, history, and a respect for the struggles of ethnic people who simply want to live and worship in peace. We have spent much time in excellent conversation about history, leaders, philosophy, literature, and other topics. And we also talk at great length about our families, friends, and the simple things of life - the interesting animals and creatures of Guantanamo, the pleasant weather, our mutual like ofrunningand exercising, and our hopesand dreams for the future. For sure, over the years, we have reviewed, and re-reviewed, every last detail about his past, his whereabouts in 2000-2002, the conditions at GTMO, and the endless labyrinth of his never-ending habeas case in court. Discussingthe court case gets tedious, and so we mostly simply talk as friends, increasingly so as the years go by. This is also the case with our longtime translator and all the other counsel Ravil has befriended over the years (especially Doug Spaulding, who has spent the most time with Ravil). So it is not surprising that so many people family, friends, counsel, fellow detainees - have taken the time to write such positive statements about Ravil. I hope that these statements taken as a whole, along with Ravil's statement, will convince you that the PRB clearance standard in this case is very well satisfied. I plan to be present at the June 21, 2016 PRB hearing, where I would be pleased to discuss these issues further, including any questions that the Panel may have regardingthe classifiedsummary.

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CA : This Review Board is being conducted at 0911 hours

on 21 June 2016 , with regards to the following detainee : Ravil

Mingazov ISN 702 .

As a reminder the unclassifiedportions of these proceedings

are being recorded for the purpose of generating a transcript to be posted on the PRS website.

TRANS 1 : TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

CA: Representatives from the following agencies are present and

are members of the Board:

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ;

DEPARTMENT OF STATE ;

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE;

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ;

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE; AND

OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF .

The following personnel are also present:

LEGAL ADVISOR TO THE BOARD ;

CASE ADMINISTRATORS ;

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ;

PRIVATECOUNSEL;

TWO TRANSLATORS ;

THE DETAINEE; AND

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SECURITY OFFICER.

TRANS 1 : ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE

CA : The detainee's Personal Representative , Private Counsel ,

the detainee, and one translator are located at the detention

facility Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They are

attendingvia video teleconference, and the detainee waived

translation of the unclassifiedsummary and Personal Representative's

and Private Counsel's opening statements . These documents have been posted to the Periodic Review Secretariat website . This session is being observed by foreign, national, and local media ; foreign

government officials; and representatives non - governmental organizations.

TRANS 1 TRANSLATIONOF ABOVE

PM: Good morning. This Board is convened to determine whether

continued law of war detention is warranted for Ravil Mingazov, ISN

702 , to protect against a continuing significant threat to the

security of the United States . From here forward , we'll refer to the

detainee as Ravil.

TRANS 1 : ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

PM: I should mention, too, that this session of the hearing is

unclassified.

TRANS 1 : ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE

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PM: Ravil, this is your Periodic Review Board to determine whether continued law of war detention is warranted in your case.

Continued law of war detention will... is... will be warranted if it is necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States . The focus of this hearing is on the threat you may pose to the United States and its interests, if transferred or released from custody . It is not on the lawfulness of your detention .

TRANS 1 : OF ABOVE )

PM : The Representatives ( and Private Counsel are your representatives to assist you during this process . Finally, the translators are here to ensure that everybody understands your statements and that you understandwhat is being said during the hearing

TRANS 1 : ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

PM : Personal Representative, Private Counsel, has the de... has

Ravil had an opportunity to review the unclassified summary?

TRANS 1 ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

PR: Yes , Ma'am.

PC : Yes .

PM: All right. Thank you . I'll read the unclassified summary :

Ravil Mingazov, ISN 702, is an ethnic Tatar from Russia with

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ties to the al- Qaeda- affiliated Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and a group called Tatar Jama'at . Ravil served in the Russian military as a logistics warrant officer from 1989 to 2000 , when he resigned over what he characterizedas the Russian government's poor treatment of

Muslims . His feelings on the subject likely led him to seek out extremist groups . Ravil probably joined the IMU, Islamic Movement of

Uzbekistan , and trained in Tajikistan until early 2001 when the group was forced to leave and collectively traveled to Afghanistan.

By mid- 2001, Ravil had probably joined Tatar Jama'at group , which

took a strong positionagainst Russia's policies towards Muslims.

In mid- 2001, Ravil probably attended several training camps in

Afghanistan where he learned to make explosives, poisons, and

chemical grenades . Ravil has admitted to fighting with the Taliban against the NorthernAlliance, but said he did not fight against

Americans. Due to his inability to communicate in any language other

than Russian , he probably did not hold any positions of authority in

Afghanistan . Ravil fled to Pakistan in January 2002, where he stayed

at a series of al- Qaeda affiliatedsafe houses, making his way to

Faisalabad , where he was arrested at a safe house associated with

senior al- Qaeda facilitator Abu Zubaydah . Based on information

following his arrest, he was known to have some experience in dealing

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with different types of explosives. We have no information from other detainee... other detainees on Ravil's pre - detention activities .

Ravil has been mostly compliant with the guard force at

Guantanamo , with a relatively low number of infractions compared to other detainees, according to Joint Task Force- Guantanamo reporting.

Despite being open with interviewers about his time in Russia, Ravil has provided few and contradictory details about his time in

Afghanistan and the circumstances that led to his arrest in an al

Qaeda affiliated safe house .

Ravil maintains a strong disdain for the Russian government and does not want to be repatriated, claiming his treatment in Guantanamo

is better than the treatment he received in Russia . He probably also

fears facing criminal charges that the Russian government has levied against him. transferredback to Russia and not charged with a

crime, Ravil would probably live with his mother in Tatarastan [ sic] until he becomes self - sufficient , and then seeks to leave Russia .

Although he does not have any direct connections to known terrorists

at large , Ravil's attitude towards the Russian government could lead

him to seek out individuals with a similar mindset, and he has

discussed returning to fight against Russia.

Do the Personal Representativeand Private Counsel wish to make

unclassified opening statements at this time ?

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TRANS 1 ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

PR : Yes , Ma'am.

PC: Yes, Ma'am.

PM : All right. I'd like to remind everyone any

information shared at this time , must be unclassified . If there's a concern about the classification of the information , I will indicate as such and stop the proceedings until we resolve the issue. Has

Ravil had the opportunity to review your statements?

TRANS 1 : [ TRANSLATION OF ABOVE

PR : Yes Ma'am.

PC : Yes

PM: All right. Personal Representative , please proceed .

TRANS 1 : ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

PR : Good morning , ladies and gentlemen of the Board . the

Personal Representativefor Ravil Mingazov, I would like to thank the

Board for allowing me this opportunity to demonstrate how Ravil is no

longer a continuing significant threat to the United States .

Ravil is a Russian Tartar ( sic) , a religious and ethnic minority

group from the Tartarstan [ sic] region of Russia. He grew up in a

loving family and led an active life, ultimatelybecoming a professional- level ballet dancer prior to being conscripted into the

Russian military like most young men . During his time in the ru... in

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the Russian military, Ravil never trained for combat duty . Actually , his first two years of service were part of the militaryballet

troupe . Following this , he served in support roles performing passport control on the border with Mongolia and then managing all

food , logistics, and cooking for an entire base .

During Ravil's time in the mil... Russian military, he became

increasingly bothered that he was not allowed to observe basic tenets of the Islamic faith while on duty, such as pray or eat halal food.

His attempt to peacefully engage military and civilian political

leadership on this issue started a chain of events that eventually drove him to leave Russia and seek an Islamic country he and his family could more freely practice their religion. While

traveling from Russia to Tajikistan, his young son became very ill,

so his wife was forced to return to Russia with their son to seek medical care. The Tajikistan government eventually relocatedRavil

and many other foreigners out of the country , leading to his arrival

in Afghanistan . Ravil never fit in with any group due to suspicion of his Russian background. He survor ... he survived by performing menial tasks and moving often. Following the onset of coalition operations, he joined the waves of people fleeing Afghanistan,

eventually crossing into Pakistan where he was detained at a guest house.

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While at Guantanamo, Ravil has been a compliant detainee who has never taken part in any non- religious fasting, even when most other detainees participated . Ravil took numerous classes in Life Skills ,

Arabic , Computer, Calligraphy, and Art . Despite the language barrier with other detainees , Ravil developed close friendships at

Guantanamo, due in large part to his calm friendly demeanor. Ravil desperately wants to re- connect with his only son , now a teenager with no memory of his father prior to detention . Ravil's son , ex wife and other in- laws currently live in the United Kingdom under political asylum and have written numerous letters pledging to support Ravil upon his release . Ravil holds no grudges against the

United States and, in , greatly admires the religious freedom

that America offers . Ravil is prepared to answer all your questions

truthfully and respectfully in order to demonstrate he is not a continuing significant threat to the United States . Thank you .

PM: Thank you . Private Counsel , you may proceed with your unclassified opening statement .

TRANS 1 TRANSLATION OF ABOVE)

PC: Members of the Periodic Review Board , thank you for

accepting this statement from me as Personal Counsel [ sic] in this

PRB hearing for Guantanamo detainee Ravil Mingazov I am a private , pro bono attorney from the law firm of Reed Smith, Washington, D.C.,

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where I serve as the office managing partner . I've been practicing law for 26 years , always with time for pro bono cases of many kinds. In 2005 , my firm accepted several detainee representationsfor their respective habeas corpus cases . At the time, a former Marine officer, Doug Spaulding, and Army officer,

Bernie Casey, took the cases and I was pleased to join them. Since

2007 , I have traveled to Guantanamo many times and spent many days meeting with Ravil. Doug and Bernie now retired, I have become

the lead counsel, including as in this hearing.

I fully understand and appreciate the issue being considered by

this panel, whether Ravil, if released, would be a threat to anyone,

taking into account security measures by the receiving country . backgroundallowing me to comment on this matter includes my in person meetings with Ravil over the last ten years , letters exchanged , and also calls , Skype , and letters with Ravil's mother ,

former wife , and son . I'm also very familiar with all the evidence

concerningRavil, including as presented in... in his habeas case, which is presently still active on appeal by the government , although

I do not comment on any of the evidence or allegations from those proceedings

Please appreciate that I have thought and reflected long and

hard on the issue over the course of many years , and mo... most

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recently, during my usual ultra- long- distance running. This is my considered conclusion : I believe and I know Ravil to be a kind and peaceful man who , if released, will do no harm to anyone. He will live the rest of his days as a devout and peaceful Muslim; a loving father and family member; a good son to his mother for her remaining days; a cheerful friend to all around him; a physicallyand mentally healthy person; and a productive employee in any number of jobs that he would eagerly take.

Ravil's son and other family members now residing in Nottingham,

England would receive Ravil with open arms assuming, we hope, the

United Kingdom, sees fit to accept an asylum petition. They will give him a bed and use of an apartment , feed him, care for him, help him with transition, and help him find gainful employment. The

United Kingdom, of course , would provide the highest levels of

rity assurances.

With respect to Ravil and his peacefulness, I have come to these

conclusions because I have observed his character over many years .

Ravil has always greeted us, first and foremost, as his friends. He

has never been impatient or hostile with us personally in any way .

the contrary , almost without exception , Ravil has always been

kind, cheerful, and humorous, something that is extraordinaryto us

given his long imprisonment. More, I have never heard Ravil lash out

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or say anything negative or threatening about anyone , not about any guard , officer , fellow detainee , any American leader, or anyone .

When discussing Russian politics, Ravil does so with a keen and deep understanding of the issues, history, and a respect for the struggles of ethnic people who simply want to live and worship in peace. We have spent much time in excellent conversationabout history,

leaders, philosophy, literature, and other topics. And we also talk at great length about our families, friends, and the simple things of

life, the interestinganimals and creatures of Guantanamo, the pleasant weather , our mutual like of running and exercising, and our hopes and dreams for the future.

For sure , over the years, we have reviewed, and re- reviewed,

every last detail about his past, his whereabouts in 2000 to 2002 ,

the conditions at GTMO, and the end... endless labyrinth of his never

ending habeas case in court . Discussing the court ca ... case gets

tedious, and so we mostly simply talk as friends, increasingly so as

the years go by . This is also the case with our longtime translator

and all the other counsel Ravil has befriended over the years ,

especially Doug Spaulding, who has spent the most time with Ravil.

it is not surprising that so many people- family, friends,

counsel , and fellow detainees- have taken the time to write such positive statements about Ravil. I hope that these statements taken

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as a whole, along with Ravil's statement , will convince you that the

PRB clearance standard in this case is well satisfied . Thank you very much

PM : Thank you. Board Members may reserve questions until detainee and witness statements have been presented in their entirety Does anyone have a question at this time ?

( NON - VERBAL RESPONSE FROM )

TRANS 1 : ( TRANSLATION OF ABOVE

PM: No questions. This concludes this portion of the hearing.

I'd ask that we remain seated until further instructedby our Case

Administrator.

TRANS 1 : [ TRANSLATION OF ABOVE )

CA : We will take a 15 - minute recess to prepare for the

remaining sessions .

The public session closed at 0930 , 21 June 2016.

( END OF PAGE )

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ABBREVIATION AND ACRONYM KEY

BM: BOARD MEMBER

CA : CASE ADMINISTRATOR

DET DETAINEE

PM : PRESIDING MEMBER

PR: PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE

PC : PRIVATE COUNSEL

TRANS 1 : TRANSLATOR ONE ( LOCATED AT PRS HQ)

TRANS 2 TRANSLATOR TWO ( LOCATED AT GUANTANAMO BAY )

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Unclassified Summary of FinalDetermination

Date of FinalDetermination DetaineeName DetaineeISN

21 JUL 2016 RavilMingazov 702

The Periodic Review Board, by consensus, determined that continued law of war detention of the detainee is no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the security of the United States. The Board has some concern with the detainee's failure to demonstrate sufficient candor relatedto events prior to detention, but in light of the factors and conditions of transfer identified below, the Board finds the risk the detainee presents can be adequately mitigated.

In makingthis determination, the Boardconsideredthat the detaineedid not expressany intentto reengageinterrorist activities norhas he espousedany anti-US sentimentthat would indicatehe views the US as his enemy. The Boardalso notedthe detainee's degree of involvementand significancein extremist activitiesappearsto be that of a low level fighter, the detainee'srecordof compliancewhile at Guantanamoand historyof positive engagementswith the guard force, and multiple letters of support, to include willingness to provide the detainee with financial and integration supportupontransfer.

The Board recommends transfer, with the appropriate security assurances as negotiated by the Special Envoys and agreed to by relevant USG departments and agencies.

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