Two Malaysians detained in Guantanamo may return to M’sia by year-end

MALAYSIA: Two Malaysians, Mohammed Farik Amin, 48, and Mohammed Nazir Lep, 47, who confessed to conspiring with an affiliate of Al Qaeda in the Bali bombings of 2002, may soon be returning to Malaysia before the close of this year.

This comes in light of a plea deal reached last week in Guantanamo Bay, where a jury of military officers is set to decide on a sentence ranging between 20 to 25 years, as reported by The New York Times correspondent in Guantanamo Bay on Monday (22 January).

The plea bargain agreement, which played a crucial role in averting prolonged legal proceedings, holds the possibility of the duo’s return to Malaysia, though details regarding this aspect remain undisclosed.

Having spent years in clandestine Central Intelligence Agency prisons since their capture in 2003, their return to Malaysia seems imminent, pending the jury’s decision.

The sentencing proceedings for Farik Amin and Nazir Lep are part of the United States government’s broader strategy aimed at resolving national security cases in Guantanamo through plea negotiations.

Last week, both individuals, currently detained in Guantanamo, pleaded guilty to conspiring in the Bali bombings that claimed the lives of 202 people on 12 October, 2002.

Originally charged alongside Indonesian Encep Nurjaman, also known as Hambali, a recent development separated Farik and Nazir from Hambali’s case.

Last October, the NYT reported that the Malaysians had reached agreements with prosecutors at Guantanamo Bay to charges of being accessories to the terrorist attacks in Bali.

As part of their guilty plea, Farik and Nazir agreed to testify against Hambali, the former leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah movement.

The plea agreement also involved both individuals being questioned by prosecutors on Sunday and Monday, potentially contributing to Hambali’s trial scheduled for next year.

The move to resolve the Guantanamo cases through negotiated pleas underscores the ongoing efforts by the United States government to address national security concerns in a more expedited manner, emphasizing cooperation with detainees to gather crucial information for future trials.

If the jury’s decision aligns with the plea agreement, the return of Farik Amin and Nazir Lep to Malaysia is anticipated to be a pivotal development in this long-standing case, bringing closure to a chapter that began two decades ago in Bali.