Global law firm White & Case LLP has helped obtain a significant pro bono win, in partnership with NGO Reprieve, on behalf of client Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu, a detainee who was released from Guantánamo Bay prison and transferred to his home country of Kenya after being imprisoned for almost 18 years, without charge or trial. Mr. Bajabu was detained by Kenyan authorities in 2007, handed over to the United States that same year, and detained in Guantánamo Bay.
In December 2021, members of six US federal agencies unanimously agreed that Mr. Bajabu did not pose a continuing threat to the United States' security and could be sent home. However, it took a further three years and advocacy from White & Case and Reprieve for the transfer to be carried out. The Department of Defense announced Abdul Malik's repatriation from the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay to the Government of Kenya on December 17, 2024.
"Abdul Malik has been dreaming of this day for many years, and we are overjoyed that he is finally back where he belongs, with his family in Kenya," said Frank Panopoulos, White & Case retired counsel, who led the Firm's pro bono efforts in this matter since 2018. "Mr. Bajabu was deprived of the best years of his life without any opportunity to face charges or clear his name through a trial. He was separated from his wife and young children when they most needed him. His children, infants when he was transported to Guantánamo, are now grown. We hope that Abdul Malik receives the support and the space he needs to become reacquainted with his family and begin his life anew."
"While we are overjoyed that Abdul Malik is finally reunited with his wife and children, the scars brought by almost two decades of unjust imprisonment under unimaginable conditions may never heal," said Panopoulos. "It's truly remarkable that, despite his circumstances, Abdul Malik remains a kind individual who sought peace and used his faith and spirituality across religions to face the mistreatment he suffered. Our pro bono efforts to help him return home is among the most meaningful work we will ever accomplish as attorneys committed to the rule of law and human rights."
The White & Case pro bono legal team representing Abdul Malik was led by White & Case alumnus Frank Panopoulos and included partner Claire DeLelle (both in Washington, DC) and associates Paula Kates (New York), Timothy Sensenig (Washington, DC) and Natalie So (Hong Kong).
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