Al-Qahtani: Allegations of Abuse

Page 2026

[…]

In response to any of the statements in the Unclassified Summary of Evidence that mention he swore bayat to Usama bin Laden or that he wanted to be a martyr, the detainee disagreed stating they were not true. The detainee stated that he told those things to the interrogators when he was being tortured a few months after he arrived at Camp X-ray, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

[…]

Page 2027

[…]

Since you asked about it, I will respond and I will make my statement later on. I said some of the stuff while I was under torture. I never said some of the other things that are written. Whether under torture or on my own, I have never said that I swore bayat to Usama bin Laden or that I wanted to be a martyr.

[…]

After almost five years of illegal imprisonment by the United States, this is the first statement I am making of my own will and without coercion or under threat of torture.

[…]

I am unfamiliar with the laws of the United States and the regulations for the ARB. Obviously I wish my lawyer was here to help me with my case,

Page 2028

but because this is not allowed I must speak for myself.

[…]

Beginning in August 2002 through 2003, I was subjected to physical and psychological methods during interrogation that amounted to tortures; cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; and outrages upon my personal dignity. These methods included: severe sleep deprivation combined with 20-hour interrogations for months at a time; severe isolation; threatened with rendition to countries that torture more; religious and sexual humiliation; threats made against my family; strip searching, body searches, and forced nudity, including in the presence of female personnel; denial of the right to practice my religion, including prohibiting me from praying for prolonged times and during Ramadan; threatening to desecrate the Koran in front of me; placing me in stress positions for prolonged times; restrained me for many months for days and nights and the restraints were very tight; threats and attacks by dogs; beatings; exposure to low temperature for prolonged time, exposure to loud music for prolonged times; forcibly given frequent IVs many times a day by medical personnel during interrogation, which felt like repetitive stabs and this happened on a daily basis. Medical personnel were involved in carrying out these methods used in interrogations. As result of the intense physical and psychological stress from these methods, I went from approximately 160 pounds to 100 pounds and was sent to the hospital twice when I was close to death during interrogation. This list does not include everything that happened to me and many other methods were used against me.

[…]

Page 2029

A human being needs four main things in life that were taken from me at Guantanamo. First, to honor religion and freedom to practice religion and respect it. Two, honoring his personal dignity by refraining from humiliating a human being through beating or cursing him and bad treatment in general. Three, respect for his honor, which means not dishonoring him through sexual humiliation or abuse. Four, respect for human rights, by allowing a human being to sleep in [sic] be comfortable where he is; to be in a warm shelter; to have security for his life; to have sufficient food and beverage; to have means to relieve himself and clean his body; to have humane medical treatment; and to know that his family is safe from threats or harm. Again, all of these rights were taken from me. A human being needs four main things in life that were taken from me at Guantanamo. It was only during this period of physical and psychological torture and inhuman treatment that I was forced to make false statements and fabricate a story. Interrogators provided me with this information and details and under pressure and coercion forced me to adopt the story that the interrogators wanted to hear.

[…]

This was because I have been cut off at Guantanamo from the outside world with no ability to gather witnesses, collect official documents, or other evidence, to defend myself. I was denied access to any lawyer who could have assisted me in defending myself and prevented interrogators from obtaining false statements from me using torture and abuse.

[…]