American who Ran Private Afghan Prison Freed
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – An American imprisoned in Afghanistan for running a private jail for terror suspects has left the prison where he was held for almost three years and departed the country, the chief of the prison said Wednesday.
Jack Idema, a former Green Beret, was pardoned by President Hamid Karzai in March as part of a general amnesty. Rahim Ahmadzai, Idema’s Afghan lawyer, said the American left the Afghan prison on June 2 and then flew out of Afghanistan.
Shamir, the chief of Policharki prison where Idema was held, said Idema had wanted to stay in Afghanistan and couldn’t get a visa, yet was still happy to leave the country.
