Hussein Azzam (born 1973 in Palestine) is a Palestinian former detainee who was held without charge by the United States at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. He was transferred to Guantanamo in 2003 and released on 27 August 2004, after spending approximately ten months in detention.
Early life and education
Azzam was born in Palestine in 1973. He is a cousin of the scholar and militant Abdullah Azzam. Azzam studied Islamic law in Saudi Arabia, where he earned a master’s degree, before returning to the West Bank. Facing difficulties finding employment as a teacher, he relocated in 1985 to Peshawar, Pakistan, to work in schools established for refugees fleeing the Soviet‑Afghan war.
Arrest and detention
On 25 May 2002, Pakistani forces raided Azzam’s home in Peshawar and arrested him together with his two sons, Abdullah (23) and Muhammad (18). While his sons were released, Azzam remained in custody. He was subsequently transferred to the U.S. detention facility at Bagram, Afghanistan, and later flown to Guantanamo Bay, where he was assigned Internment Serial Number 715. During his detention he was interrogated on five occasions. No formal charges were ever filed against him.
Release
Azzam was released from Guantanamo on 27 August 2004 and returned to his family in Jordan. The United States Department of Defense lists a captive identified as “Abdul Qadir Yousef Hussein” as having been transferred on that date, which corresponds to Azzam’s release. Following his release, his family had relocated to Jordan to avoid persecution; his son Abdullah died in February 2004 due to a heart condition exacerbated by the family’s circumstances.
Personal life
Azzam is the father of eight children.
Notes
- The information above is drawn from publicly available sources, including the United States Department of Defense release records and the Wikipedia article on Hussein Azzam.
- No criminal charges were ever brought against Azzam in connection with his detention.
This entry reflects the known, verifiable facts about Hussein Azzam and does not include unverified or speculative material.