UK/Cuba: Detainee tells of murder, torture and death threats
01 August 2004
One of the five British detainees still at Guantanamo Bay, Moazzam Begg, has claimed that he witnessed two prisoners killed by their US captors. In his first letter to be made public, Moazzam, who was abducted by Pakistani intelligence officers and US special forces in Pakistan in 2002, says that he has been tortured, subjected to death threats and forced to sign documents. His allegations echo those made by other released prisoners. Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal and Rhuhel Ahmed made a joint statement last June in which they implicated British officials and security personnel in abuses, which include repeated beatings and humiliation, they suffered at the hands of US soldiers, (see
Statewatch news online). Another of the released British detainees, Jamal al-Harith, made similar claims of punishment beatings and psychological torture in the
Daily Mirror newspaper (12.3.04).
The British prisoners' experiences have been corroborated by the eye-witness accounts of other detainees who have been released from the US interrogation centre. In mid-October the
New York Times described the "harsh and coercive treatment" meted out to prisoners at Guantanamo as described to them by former Guantanamo employees. The newspaper interviewed military guards, intelligence agents and others who described "highly abusive" treatment occurring "over a long period of time." One of the techniques the former employees mention "was making uncooperative prisoners strip to their underwear, having them sit in a chair while shackled hand and foot to a bolt in the floor, and forcing them to endure strobe lights and screamingly loud rock and rap music played through two close loudspeakers, while the air conditioning was turned up to maximum levels". Such sessions could last up to 14 hours one official told the newspaper.
Here is the full text of Moazzam's letter:
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
I, Moazzam Begg, citizen of The United Kingdom of Great Britain, attributed the number 00558 (Camp Echo), have felt it necessary to augment, and further clarify the above noted statement, and to accentuate my grievances and intentions.
After over two-and-a-half years in the custody of the US military without charge, and by extension, without jurisdiction, I have yet to be afforded basic rights normally granted under the constitution of the USA, and international law.
I therefore demand, unconditionally and irrevocably, that I be released immediately and returned to my family and domicile in the UK, together will all possessions: including all items and monies confiscated by US/Pakistani "agents" from my residence in Pakistan on 31 January 2002.
In the likely event that these demands are outrightly rejected or unnecessarily procrastinated, I demand the following rights under US law:-
1. A thorough and peremptory explanation of all statutory rights
available within U.S. legislature, particularly with respect to
foreign nationals.
2. Any and all charges/allegations be presented unambiguously, and written.
3. Full access to international phone calls in order to communicate with family and lawyers.
4. Full access to legal representatives of my own choice and appointment.
5. A fully inventoried list detailing all property seized (as mentioned above).
6. Regular and timely access to postal communication with family and a halt to the obscuring and withholding of mail from home.
Wife and children destitute
In addition to the aforementioned rights, I make it known that I expect logical and reasonable answers for the following violations and abuses, and intend to seek justice and accountability:-
i) The exact purpose for my abduction, kidnapping and false imprisonment on 31st January 2002, under the auspices of US intelligence and law enforcement.
ii) Subsequently, what legal jurisdiction they had for taking me forcibly to Afghanistan.
iii) By what legal authority was property and money confiscated