Statement by his lawyer, June 8, 2007

During our last trip to Guantanamo, Jumah Al Dossari told us about several of the other detainees in the Mental Health Unit (MHU). One of those detainees is Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr is the only other detainee in the MHU with whom Jumah can have normal conversations. Jumah said that Abu Bakr is in the MHU because he has problems walking rather than because of any psychological issues. According to Jumah, Abu Bakr weighs less than 100 pounds.

At times, Jumah and Abu Bakr have been held in cells that are opposite to each other. This arrangement allows Jumah and Abu Bakr to talk reasonably easily.

However, shortly before our last visit to Guantanamo, the military moved Abu Bakr to a cell on the opposite end of the cell block from Jumah. When the military came to move Abu Bakr to that other cell, he did not want to go. The military then brought an anti-riot team that moved Abu Bakr by force. Jumah begged the guard supervisor to move Abu Bakr back so that he and Abu Bakr could talk - otherwise, Jumah is surrounded by detainees who yell incoherently. The supervisor said that Guantanamo psychiatrists had decided that Jumah and Abu Bakr should be separated.

A few days later, Abu Bakr was yelling that he was being hurt by the anti-riot squad. People in Bahrain may remember that Jumah was once severely beaten by an anti-riot squad. Several U.S. government personnel have described this incident and the Bahraini government sent an inquiry to the U.S. State Department about this incident to which, we understand, there has been no response. When Jumah heard Abu Bakr's screams, it reminded him of his beating. He lost consciousness due to the trauma of his memories. When Jumah woke up a doctor told him that he had had a seizure. Jumah's face had bruises from the fall.

It was just another day for Jumah at Guantanamo.