RECORD NO. 16-CV-01462 In The United States District Court for the District of Columbia ASADULLAH HAROON “AL AFGHANI” GUL (ISN 3148), Petitioner, v. DONALDJ. TRUMP,et al., Respondents. ______________ BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONER ______________ Francis A. Vasquez, Jr. [Bar # 442161] Joseph Margulies F.A. VASQUEZ CONSULTING PROFESSOR OF THE PRACTICE 2109 Arrowleaf Drive OF LAW AND GOVERNMENT Vienna, VA 22182 243 Myron Taylor Hall (571) 363-7747 Cornell University Law School [email protected] Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 255-6477 [email protected] Counsel for Amicus Curiae GibsonMooreAppellateServices,LLC 206 EastCary Street P.O.Box1460(23218) Richmond,VA 23219 804-249-7770 www.gibsonmoore.net TABLEOF CONTENTS Page: TABLEOF AUTHORITIES....................................................................................ii STATEMENT OF THE IDENTITY OF THE AMICUS CURIAE, ITS INTEREST INTHE CASE, AND THE SOURCE OF ITS AUTHORITY TO FILE ITS BRIEF ........................................................................................................ 1 SUMMARYOF THEARGUMENT...........................................................................3 STATEMENTOF FACTS........................................................................................4 ARGUMENT...........................................................................................................10 I. HAROON SHOULD BE RELEASED BECAUSE ALL HOSTILITIES BETWEEN HIA AND THE UNITED STATES HAVE CEASED ................................................................................. 10 II. HAROON SHOULD BE RELEASED AS HIS CONTINUED DETENTION IS DETRIMENTAL TO AMICABLE RELATIONS BETWEEN AFGHANISTAN AND THE UNITED STATES .............................................................................. 12 III. HAROON SHOULD BE RELEASED AS HE COULD NOT HAVEBEENA SIMULTANEOUSMEMBER OF AL QAIDA AND HIA, AND EVEN IF HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONDUCT LIMITED LIAISONSWITH AL QAIDA INTHE DISTANT PAST,IT DOES NOT JUSTIFY HIS CONTINUED DETENTION......................................................................................14 CONCLUSION........................................................................................................16 APPENDIX CERTIFICATEOF SERVICE i TABLEOF AUTHORITIES Page(s): Cases: Al-Alwiv. Trump, 901F.3d294 (D.C.Cir.2018).................................................................11,12 Hamdiv. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S.507 (2004).................................................................................10,11 Parhat v. Gates, 532 F.3d834 (D.C.Cir.2008).......................................................................10 Razak v. Obama, 174 F.Supp.3d 300 (D.C.Cir.2016)...............................................10,11,12 Other: Afghan insurgent commander lands in Guantanamo, I NDIA INFO (June 23, 2007), http://news.indiainfo.com/2007/06/23/guantanamo.html .................................................4 Afghanpresidentpledgesto releaseupto2,000Talibanprisoners, A L JAZEERA(May25,2020), https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/afghan-president-pledges-release-2000- taliban-prisoners-200525053352382.html............................................................................9 Afghanistan: Ghani, Hekmatyar sign peace deal, A L JAZEERA (Sep. 29, 2016), https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/afghanistan-ghani-hekmatyar- sign-peace-deal-160929092524754.html. .................................................................. 6 Carol Rosenberg, Afghan detainee who wanted to meet Ludacris loses Guantánamo parole hearing, Miami Herald (Jul. 23, 2016), https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation- world/world/americas/guantanamo/article91470287.html#storylink=cpy. ...............5 ii Department of Defense, Office of Freedom of Information,71Guantanamo Detainees Determined Eligible to Receive a Periodic Review Board as of April 19,2013, Joint Review Task Force (Feb. 12,2014) https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1020057-guantanamo-parole- list.html.......................................................................................................................5 Gabriel Haboubi,Afghan terror suspect transferred to Guantanamo Bay prison, T HE J URIST (Jun. 22, 2007), http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2007/06/afghan-terror-suspect- transferred-to.php.......................................................................................................4 GermanManualof HumanitarianLawin Armed Conflicts(1992)........................10 HaroonGu1,ReprieveU.S.......................................................................................5 HekmatyarUrgesTaliban‘Brothers’ToEndWar;OffersToMediateTalks, R ADIOF REEE UROPER ADIOL IBERTY(May4,2017), https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-warlord-hekmatyar-returns- kabul/28467563.html.................................................................................................7 JavedHamimKakar,Khalizad,Hekmatyartalk PeaceProcessand Elections,P AJHWOK (Oct.14,2018),at https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2018/10/14/khalilzad-hekmatyar-talk-peace- process-elections........................................................................................................8 KhwajaBasirFitri,Aminzai,Baheer& Azimisworninas new senators, P AJHWOK(Sep.16,2018) https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2018/09/16/aminzai-baheer-azimi-sworn-new- senators.......................................................................................................................7 MateoGodi,A HistoricalPerspectiveon Filingsby ForeignSovereignsat the U.S.Supreme Court,42 Yale L.J. 409 (2017)....................................................2 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, https://www.mfa.gov.af .......................................................................................................... 2 Ministryof ForeignAffairs,IslamicRepublicof Afghanistan,The Constitutionof Afghanistan,https://www.mfa.gov.af/constitution/preamble.html.....................................2 iii MuhammadTahir,GulbuddinHekmatyar’sReturnto the Afghan Insurgency,T HEJ AMESTOWNF OUNDATION(May29,2009) http://www.jamestown.org/news_details.php?news_id=325....................................6 MujibMashal,AfghanPresidentOrdersTalibanPrisonerRelease, N EW Y ORK T IMES(Mar.10,2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/world/asia/taliban-prisoner-release.html..............9 MujibMashal,TalibanandU.S.StrikeDealtoWithdrawAmericanTroops FromAfghanistan,N EW Y ORK T IMES(Feb.29,2020), https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world/asia/us-taliban-deal.html.............................9 New Appointments;2 Membersof Hezb-eIslamiEnteredGovernmenton Eveof Election,B AZTAB N EWS (Aug.2, 2018), https://baztab.news/article/699037.............................................................................7 New York Times,GuantánamoDocket. ................................................................14 OmidMarzban,ShamshatooRefugeeCamp:A Baseof Supportfor GulbuddinHekmatyar,T HE J AMESTOWNF OUNDATION(May24,2007) http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=4189...........5 PeterFinn,Justicetaskforcerecommendsabout50 Guantanamodetainees be heldindefinitely,W ASHINGTONP OST(Jan.22,2010) https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2010/01/21/AR2010012104936.html?sid=ST201001220 0767............................................................................................................................5 Shereena Qazi, UN lifts sanctions against Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, A LJAZEERA (Feb. 4, 2017), https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/lifts- sanctions-gulbuddin-hekmatyar-170204125508334.html. ........................................ 7 Third Geneva ConventionRelativeto the Treatmentof Prisonersof War art.118,6 U.S.T3316,75 U.N.T.S.135.................................................................10 U.K.Manualof the Law of Armed Conflict(2004).................................................10 US deputy assistantsecretary of state met with GulbuddinHekmatyar, K HAAMAP RESS (Jul.10,2018),https://www.khaama.com/us-deputy- assistant-secretary-of-state-met-with-gulbuddin-hekmatyar-05554/.........................8 iv INTHE UNITEDSTATESDISTRICTCOURT FOR THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA ASADULLAHHAROON“AL AFGHANI”GUL(ISN3148), Petitioner, v. Case No.16-cv-01462(APM) DONALDJ. TRUMP,et al., Respondents. BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN INSUPPORT OF PETITIONER1 COMES NOW, THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE ISLAMICREPUBLICOF AFGHANISTAN,throughcounsel,andhereby files this amicus curiaebriefinsupportofPetitioner’sapplicationfor a writof habeascorpus: STATEMENT OF THE IDENTITY OF THE AMICUS CURIAE, ITS INTEREST INTHE CASE, AND THE SOURCE OF ITS AUTHORITY TO FILE ITS BRIEF The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Of The Islamic Republic Of Afghanistan (“Amicus”)is chargedwith overseas relations,and the diplomaticprotectionof our 1 Counsel files this brief with the consent of the parties. No counsel for any party authored this brief, in whole or in part, nor did anyone apart from counsel for amicus contribute money toward its preparation and filing. 1 citizens. In this regard, as reflected in the Ministry website,2 we have various obligations. Based on Article 39 Afghanistan’s Constitution,the Government of the IslamicRepublicAfghanistanhas the responsibilityto defendandprotect the rights of its citizens outside Afghanistan: Every Afghan shall have the right to travel outside Afghanistan and return, according to the provisions of