Al Sharikh: Allegations of Abuse (ARB2)

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Board Member: Did you[r] brother receive the same briefing on the weapon?

Detainee (through translator): No, he did not. My brother and I did not train on that SAM-7A weapon. They used psychological torture to find out if I had trained on this weapon. I told the interrogators that their source was lying to them because this statement is not true. I am honest. I am telling the truth. If I had trained on this weapon, I would have told you that I trained on it. I am not scared of anything.

Presiding Officer: You just mentioned that you were psychologically tortured?

Detainee (through translator); Yes. To tell you the truth, yes.

Presiding Officer: That's the first time that you ever mentioned that in any record. That is completely new information to us.

Detainee (through translator); Because when you talked about SAM-7, I wanted to clarify why I had said this statement. This is not the first board I have attended. I attended three other boards. For each Board, I get a new interrogator. Each new interrogator made the allegation that I had trained on SAM-7. Three years ago I was at Camp III and they interrogated me for a month. The air conditioning temperature was 54 degrees. It was very cold. They let me sit there for long hours and they brought big speakers with loud noises. They tortured me while standing up and they insulted me and my religion. They have done many things to me. They have done worse to my brother. While I was being tortured, they asked me whether I had trained on SAM-7 and I told them no. Up to this point, they still ask me and this allegation is still in my folder. If I wanted to lie and say yes, I would have told them when I was being tortured. Please excuse me for what I just said, but this is what happened.

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Presiding Officer: Have you ever told the International Committee of the Red Cross about the cold air conditioning, the insult to your religion, being made to stand up, or any of the other things that you just said?

Detainee (through translator): I tried the Red Cross when I was in Kandahar. Together, all the torture that has happened in Cuba is nothing compared to all the torture that I went through in Kandahar. Honestly, talking to the Red Cross would make matters worse. It doesn't do anything.

Presiding Officer: We have a procedure for allegation of abuse or torture over here. This will be investigated after we report it today.

Detainee (through translator): I thank you.

Board Member: You said that your brother was treated worse than you.

Detainee (through translator): Yes.

Board Member: Is he the same brother that died in Afghanistan?

Detainee (through translator): No. The one in Afghanistan was killed. I am talking about my third brother.

Board Member: Thank you.

Board Member: The third brother that you are talking about, did he go to Afghanistan?

Detainee (through translator): Yes.

Board Member: So just to make sure that I understand correctly. Four brothers went to Jihad. One went to Chechnya and died. Three went to Afghanistan and out of those three, one died, and then you are here.

Detainee (through translator): My fourth brother and I are here.

Board Member: Thank you.

Detainee: You are welcome.

Presiding Officer: I have one more question about your statement about the abuse. Why did you not tell your Board last year about the abuse?

Detainee (through translator): Because when I attended, even today before I attended, I did not have any intent to tell you. But it was a clarification to the question concerning

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SAM-7. I told the interrogators at Camp V about the torture that happened before. They wrote it down but did not change anything. I would tell them it was cold and request to go back to my cellblock. I am sorry there was no use in telling them. When I told them and they did not do anything about it. I decided to keep quiet and not say anymore.

Presiding Officer: We will go back and look at those interrogation reports and will check on your statements.

Detainee: Good.

Presiding Officer: Is this room too cold for you right now?

Detainee: No, I am good. Thank you, Sir.