Statement of Binyam Mohammed, August 11, 2005 (Transcript)
Case 1:05-cv-00301-GK
Exhibit G
Statement of Binyam Mohammed
I am Binyam Mohammed. I am 27 years old. I was seized by the Americans on April 10, 2002, and I have been held by them since. They took me forcibly to Morocco where I endured 18 months of torture from July 21, 2002, to January 211, 2004. I was then taken by the Americans to Afghanistan and, on September 19, 2004, to Guantanamo Bay.
All this time the conditions of my confinement have been a nightmare. Along with other U.S. prisoners, I have been routinely humiliated and abused and constantly lied to.
We were very, very patient here in Guantanamo. But finally enough was enough, and in late June we organized a strike across the prison. People refused food and water, some for over 20 days, and became so weak they were hospitalized. They refused an I.V. drip and the doctor told them that he could not force them to take sustenance even if they were in a coma. He had the people in the hospital confirm twice, before witnesses, that they refused resuscitation if it came to that.
The administration eventually agreed, if we stopped the hunger strike, to negotiate on good faith. I had not eaten for just four days but I had been very weak and fallen down.
The administration promised that if we gave them ten days, they would bring the prison into compliance with the Geneva conventions. They said this had been approved by Donald Rumsfeld himself in Washington D.C.
As a result of these promises, we agreed to end the strike on July 28, 2005.
It is now August 11th, 2005. They have betrayed our trust (again). Hisham from Tunisia was savagely beaten in his interrogation, and they publically [sic] desecrated the Qur'an (again). Saad from Kuwait was ERF'd for refusing to go (again) to interrogation because the female interrogator had sexually humiliated him (again) for 5½ hours. Omar the kid from Canada was ERF'd (again) for refusing to go to another illegal interrogation.
Therefore the strike must begin again. Some have already begun—150 have begun in Camps I, II, & III. 60 people in Camp V begin today.
I will begin tomorrow—Friday, August 12th, 2005. I do not plan to stop until I either die or we are respected. People will definitely die.
Bobby Sands petitioned the British Government to stop the illegitimate internment of Irishmen without trial. He had the courage of his convictions and he starved himself to death. Nobody should believe, for one moment that my brothers here have less courage—although nobody should believe, either, believe that we are terrorists, or will resort to violence. We take our inspiration, ultimately, and exclusively, from our God.
We ask only for justice: treat us, as promised, under the rules of the Geneva Conventions for Civilian Prisoners while we are held, and either try us fairly for a valid criminal charge or set us free.
August 11th, 2005
Binyam Mohammed [signed]
Exhibit G
Statement of Binyam Mohammed
I am Binyam Mohammed. I am 27 years old. I was seized by the Americans on April 10, 2002, and I have been held by them since. They took me forcibly to Morocco where I endured 18 months of torture from July 21, 2002, to January 211, 2004. I was then taken by the Americans to Afghanistan and, on September 19, 2004, to Guantanamo Bay.
All this time the conditions of my confinement have been a nightmare. Along with other U.S. prisoners, I have been routinely humiliated and abused and constantly lied to.
We were very, very patient here in Guantanamo. But finally enough was enough, and in late June we organized a strike across the prison. People refused food and water, some for over 20 days, and became so weak they were hospitalized. They refused an I.V. drip and the doctor told them that he could not force them to take sustenance even if they were in a coma. He had the people in the hospital confirm twice, before witnesses, that they refused resuscitation if it came to that.
The administration eventually agreed, if we stopped the hunger strike, to negotiate on good faith. I had not eaten for just four days but I had been very weak and fallen down.
The administration promised that if we gave them ten days, they would bring the prison into compliance with the Geneva conventions. They said this had been approved by Donald Rumsfeld himself in Washington D.C.
As a result of these promises, we agreed to end the strike on July 28, 2005.
It is now August 11th, 2005. They have betrayed our trust (again). Hisham from Tunisia was savagely beaten in his interrogation, and they publically [sic] desecrated the Qur'an (again). Saad from Kuwait was ERF'd for refusing to go (again) to interrogation because the female interrogator had sexually humiliated him (again) for 5½ hours. Omar the kid from Canada was ERF'd (again) for refusing to go to another illegal interrogation.
Therefore the strike must begin again. Some have already begun—150 have begun in Camps I, II, & III. 60 people in Camp V begin today.
I will begin tomorrow—Friday, August 12th, 2005. I do not plan to stop until I either die or we are respected. People will definitely die.
Bobby Sands petitioned the British Government to stop the illegitimate internment of Irishmen without trial. He had the courage of his convictions and he starved himself to death. Nobody should believe, for one moment that my brothers here have less courage—although nobody should believe, either, believe that we are terrorists, or will resort to violence. We take our inspiration, ultimately, and exclusively, from our God.
We ask only for justice: treat us, as promised, under the rules of the Geneva Conventions for Civilian Prisoners while we are held, and either try us fairly for a valid criminal charge or set us free.
August 11th, 2005
Binyam Mohammed [signed]
Get original here.