Muhammad Ismail Agha

Muhammad Ismail Agha is an Afghan national who was among some 15-21 juveniles held at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps. Believed to be age 12-13 (estimated) when arrested by Afghan militia soldiers, he was said to be the youngest detainee held at the camps. The Afghans traded him to U.S. forces in December 2002 for $10 US dollars. Detained without charge, he was released on January 29, 2004 and returned home.

He was among 200 detainees released in early 2004, before the United States Supreme Court ruled in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004) that detainees were entitled to challenge their detention and classification as enemy combatants before an impartial tribunal.

Early life and education

Agha was born in Nawzad, Afghanistan. He helped his father in the village and farm. In 2002, he was captured by Afghan militia and sold to US forces for $10USD.

Detention in 2002

After being arrested in late 2002, Agha was detained by the United States at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, then transferred in 2002 to Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. During this time he was held in solitary confinement and subjected to sleep deprivation and stress position.