Sohail: Allegations of Abuse, ARB 2006

Page 2749

Presiding Officer: If you did not provide anybody with any information, why would you say that he threatened your family?

Detainee: They were beating me and I was bleeding after they arrested me in Kabul.

Presiding Officer: Who was beating you?

Detainee: <REDACTED>, an American.

Presiding Officer: Whom did he work for?

Detainee: He came from the U.S. Embassy. I was bleeding; he put a pistol in my mouth and said a lot of stuff to me. He said that I would go to Cuba and stay there forever, and that I will never see my family again. That’s when I decided to lie against myself.

Presiding Officer: You think <REDACTED> worked for the Embassy?

Detainee: That’s what he told me.

Presiding Officer: Was he in uniform?

Detainee: No, he was in civilian clothes.

Presiding Officer: In what city did that happen?

Page 2750

Detainee: Kabul, KMTC.

Presiding Officer: Is that a camp?

Detainee: That was an American camp, a training center.

Translator: Military College.

Board Member: Was anyone else in the room when the beating occurred?

Detainee: <REDACTED> and another American, <REDACTED>.

Board Member: Was <REDACTED> in military uniform?

Detainee: No, he was a civilian. There also was a translator, an Afghani-American; I do not remember his name.

Board Member: Did they also participate in the beating?

Detainee: Yes.

Presiding Officer: I was under the impression that <REDACTED> was the only one who hit you.

Detainee: <REDACTED> and the translator.

Board Member: Did they all hit you?

Detainee: Yes.

Board Member: After <REDACTED>, and the translator hit you and that you needed to tell them who you were working for or you were going to go to Cuba, did you tell them then that you worked for Chaman?

Detainee: Yes.

Board Member: Did you tell them right then that Commander Chaman had threatened your family or did you tell them later?

Detainee: After thirty minutes or one hour later.

Board Member: Thank you.

Page 2751

Designated Military Officer: (4) The following primary factors favor release or transfer. The detainee claims that the confession regarding him proving classified information is false and coerced.

Detainee: After taking a beating from <REDACTED> and the others, I confessed that I was working for Commander Chaman. I am not a member of any party or organization.

<…>

Presiding Officer: Do you have anything else such as communications from your family that you want to tell us?

Detainee: The elder of my tribe sent a letter to the ARB guaranteeing that I am not a trader <sic> against the U.S. government, and that I did not have any problems with anyone back in Afghanistan. I heard about it, but I do not know whether you have a copy.

Presiding Officer: Your town elder sent something to the ARB, but I am not sure I am in possession of that. Was it this year or last year?

Detainee: This year. Three or four days ago, I spoke with ICRC and was told that the letter is with the censorship people. They also said that the original of that paper will go to the ARB, and I will receive a copy.

Presiding Officer: Did you get your copy yet?

Detainee: No.

Presiding Officer: That’s probably why we do not have it yet either. I will ask the AMO to look into that after the Board so that I can be made available to us. It is going through censorship like you said; if it’s still in their hand, that’s why we haven’t gotten it, especially if you haven’t received your copy either.

Detainee: I was told that it might take a year.