Bay prison misery for detainees
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 7th April 2007
ANTI-RIOT squads equipped with helmets, shields and sticks have been forcibly removing Guantanamo Bay detainees from their cells on a daily basis, according to lawyers.
Bahraini detainee Isa Al Murbati is among those who have been targeted, says legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan.
The incidents in Camp Six often result in physical injuries to the captives, though they are now less frequent, he told the GDN.
Mr Colangelo-Bryan had previously said he was worried that Mr Al Murbati may commit suicide after being moved into the camp, said to be one of the “cruellest” facilities in the notorious prison.
Bay prison misery for detainees
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 7th April 2007
ANTI-RIOT squads equipped with helmets, shields and sticks have been forcibly removing Guantanamo Bay detainees from their cells on a daily basis, according to lawyers.
Bahraini detainee Isa Al Murbati is among those who have been targeted, says legal team head Joshua Colangelo-Bryan.
The incidents in Camp Six often result in physical injuries to the captives, though they are now less frequent, he told the GDN.
Mr Colangelo-Bryan had previously said he was worried that Mr Al Murbati may commit suicide after being moved into the camp, said to be one of the “cruellest” facilities in the notorious prison.
But the aggressive nature of the guards is not the only issue his client has to worry about.
“It is very difficult to sleep in Camp Six for several reasons,” said Mr Colangelo-Bryan.
“First, if at night a Military Police officer looks into a cell and can’t see the detainee’s face because it is covered by a blanket, he will bang on the door to wake up the detainee to see his face.
“This wakes up the detainee and others around him.
“Further, recreation is often offered to detainees late at night or very early in the morning, at 1am or 2am.
“Guards are very loud when bringing a detainee to recreation during the night and this also causes noise.”
Mr Colangelo-Bryan says recreation is not a very appealing activity and that Mr Al Murbati, 41, tends to prefer to stay in his cell, meaning he is there day and night.
“The cages are next to the Camp Six building so there is very rarely any direct sun in the recreation areas,” he said.
“Detainees are not permitted to touch the cage fences in the Camp Six recreation area, even to put their feet against the fence in order to do sit-ups.
“It may well be impossible for any of us even to imagine life under such circumstances.”
The only other remaining Guantanamo Bay detainee Juma Al Dossary, 32, is being held at the prison camp’s mental health unit and reportedly suffers from a variety of health problems.
Both men have been kept at the Cuba-based prison for more than five years without charge or trial.
Three other Bahrainis, Adel Kamel Hajee, Abdulla Al Nuaimi and Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, were released from Guantanamo in November 2005, while Salah Al Blooshi was released and returned to Bahrain in October last year.
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© Gulf Daily News
