A man once suspected of being a high-ranking al-Qaida figure and who was subjected to severe interrogation techniques by the CIA has appeared at a recent hearing to review his long-term detention at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Abu Zubaydah, held for 20 years without formal charges, attended a 20-minute hearing Thursday. A U.S. government official said he "probably" served as one of Osama bin Laden’s key facilitators, but his lawyers argue he was never an official member of the group. The hearing, which was broadcast to reporters, offered a rare glimpse into the secretive military court process. Zubaydah’s private attorney, Annika Conrad, and his government-appointed representative confirmed that he had known bin Laden but denied he was part of al-Qaida. Conrad argued that Zubaydah, now 55, poses no security threat and that his continued detention is no longer justified. She said he should be allowed to leave Guantanamo, a process that would take years and involve finding a country willing to accept him. She noted that Zubaydah is willing to accept monitoring if released and has the support of his family. Conrad also highlighted the lasting effects of the torture Zubaydah endured during his time in CIA custody. She described him as "a greatly injured man" who has lost his left eye and the ability to write in English. He often struggles with memory and speech, and his lawyers say he was subjected to waterboarding more than 80 times in a short period. Despite this, they say he has rejected extremist views and now wants only to live peacefully. A military prosecutor has reportedly said it is unlikely Zubaydah will ever be charged, a development his lawyers called a "major change in circumstances" that supports his release. Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan in 2002 and was the first person subjected to the CIA’s "enhanced interrogation" program, which included practices now widely considered torture. He was held in secret CIA detention sites in Poland and Lithuania before being transferred to Guantanamo in 2006. While the U.S. no longer claims he was a top al-Qaida leader, he remains classified as a security risk. In 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit he filed over his treatment, citing national security concerns. Recently, the British government agreed to pay a significant sum to settle a claim that its intelligence agencies were complicit in his torture.