Letter to his Attorney (David Remes), February 2, 2009

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious

Monday Feb. 2nd, 2009

To the lawyer David Remes and the team of lawyers,

Greetings,

I would like to inform you about the conditions after your last visit.

The detainees in camp five are still on their protest by refusing to go out for walk. This has been going on now for 65 days during which they have not seen sunlight or fresh air, you know the danger of this which can result in physical and mental sickness, what could be more torturous than this …

Concerning the hunger strike in camp five, the number of detainees who are being force fed by the use of tubes are five and there are ten others. The reason for their protest, as I informed you earlier is the ill treatment and the solitary confinement and demanding the reasons for being continued to be detained, also the bad quality of food. Now even I have started taking what is called “Ensure” that is given to me by the clinic. This same milk is given to those who are on hunger strike. They give me every day six cans, with two cans per meal because I am unable to eat the food that is given to me because of lethargy and not having an appetite because this food has remained the same for the last three years …

We have heard and read that the new administration has decided that the treatment of detainees will be according to the Geneva Convention. We haven’t seen anything being implemented. However, last Friday, the camp military officer came to us and read us a new decision that on Fridays we will be allowed to pray together in congregation when we go out to the recreational area, pray the noon prayer, then we eat lunch then pray the late afternoon prayers and then we return back to our cells…

I am informing this so that you should be aware how much the administration is trying to deceive, so that you will raise your report to the higher ups about this permission to pray in congregation. This is all lies and a trick. Whenever we were out in the recreational area and by chance if the prayer time happened to fall during that time, we would pray there and eat there. Therefore they have not done anything new … We still pray individually, as you know we are required to pray five times daily and not during Friday only.

I am informing you this so that you can speak to the higher ups that the prison administration is trying to deceive and play around with the rules. They are now saying that camp five is the place for trouble makers and a place for punishment (disciplinary). These are lies, when [illegible] because of torture and interrogation. For example I do not have any problems with the guards, I do not assault them or commit any offense, the administration here has informed me that my behavior is good, however, I am [illegible] from interrogation and that is because of my refusal to talk with the interrogator and as you have informed me that is my right …

Therefore it is necessary that a committee or a delegation comes to find out the facts in the prison and talk to all the prisoners and should pass through all the camps and not only camp four. This if you really want to make changes, however if you are doing this only for the media and want to show to the world opinion that you respect rights and that the new administration will make changes, then lies will not last forever and the truth will eventually come out and there will be a lot of talk.

Thank you

Saeed Hatim, ISN 255

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