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A letter from
Guantanamo: In full
Lawyers for the British Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg say
they have received the first uncensored letter from him in
two-and-a-half years.
Mr Begg, 36, is being detained at the US military base without
trial. Three other Britons also remain there.
The letter, seen by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, claimed he had
been tortured, threatened with death and kept in solitary
confinement. Below is Mr Begg’s letter in full, dated 12 July 2004.
US FORCES ADMINISTRATION JTF/
JDOG, GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
RE: Supplementary Exposition (of Statement dated 5th July,
2004)
I, Moazzam Begg, citizen of The United Kingdom of Great
Britain, attributed the number 00558 (camp Echo), have felt it
necessary to augment, and further clarify the above noted
statement, and to accentuate my grievances and intentions.
After over two-and-a-half years in the custody of the US
military without charge, and by extension, without
jurisdiction, I have yet to be afforded basic rights normally
granted under the constitution of the USA, and international
law.
I therefore demand, unconditionally and irrevocably, that I be
released immediately and returned to my family and domicile in
the UK, together will all possessions: including all items and
monies confiscated by US/Pakistani "agents" from my residence
in Pakistan on 31 January 2002.
In the likely event that these demands are outrightly rejected
or unnecessarily procrastinated, I demand the following rights
under US law:-
1. A thorough and peremptory explanation of all statutory
rights available within U.S. legislature, particularly with
respect to foreign nationals.
2. Any and all charges/ allegations be presented
unambiguously, and written.
3. Full access to international phone calls in order to
communicate with family and lawyers.
4. Full access to legal representatives of my own choice and
appointment.
5. A fully inventoried list detailing all property seized (as
mentioned above).
6. Regular and timely access to postal communication with
family and a halt to the obscuring and withholding of mail
from home.
Wife and children destitute
In addition to the aforementioned rights, I make it known that
I expect logical and reasonable answers for the following
violations and abuses, and intend to seek justice and
accountability:-
i) The exact purpose for my abduction, kidnapping and false
imprisonment on 31st January 2002, under the auspices of U.S.
intelligence and law enforcement.
ii) Subsequently, what legal jurisdiction they had for taking
me forcibly to Afghanistan.
iii) By what legal authority was property and money
confiscated, leaving my wife and young children destitute and
penniless, in their wake.
Solitary confinement
iv) Why I was brought into a designated war zone, and my life
put at risk.
v) Why I was physically abused, and degradingly stripped by
force, then paraded in front of several cameras toted by U.S.
personnel.
vi) The reason for being held in Bagram detention facility for
a year, and consequently, being denied natural light and fresh
food for the duration.
vii) The exact purpose for my incarceration in solitary
confinement since 8th Feb, 2003!
viii) Why all news pertaining to my own situation has been
barred from me.
ix) The justification for withholding most of my family mail,
and incongruent obscurance of what little amounts have
trickled through - even from 8 year olds!
x) Why phone calls and legal representation have been
continually denied, despite several reassurances to the
contrary.
xi) Why, despite copious requests, I have yet to meet with a
chaplain during all this time.
xii) What was the legality and purpose of extracting my
signature on a statement, in early February 2003, by FBI and
CITF agents, under threats of long term imprisonment, summary
trials and execution - all without legal representation.
Vindictive torture
I state here, unequivocally and for the record, that any
documents presented to me by US law enforcement agents were
signed and initialled under duress, thus rendered legally
contested in validity.
During several interviews, particularly - though unexclusively
- in Afghanistan, I was subjected to pernicious threats of
torture, actual vindictive torture and death threats - amongst
other coercively employed interrogation techniques. Neither
was the presence of legal counsel ever produced, or made
available.
The said interviews were conducted in an environment of
generated fear, resonant with terrifying screams of fellow
detainees facing similar methods. In this atmosphere of severe
antipathy towards detainees was the compounded use of racially
and religiously prejudiced taunts. This culminated, in my
opinion, with the deaths of two fellow detainees, at the hands
of US military personnel, to which I myself was partially
witness.
In spite of all the aforementioned cruel and unusual treatment
meted out, I have maintained a compliant and amicable manner
with my captors, and a cooperative attitude. My behavioural
record is impeccable, yet contrasts immensely to what I have
experienced, as stated.
Seek justice
I am a law abiding citizen of the UK, and attest vehemently to
my innocence, before God and the law, of any crime - though
none has even been alleged. I have neither ever met Usama bin
Laden, nor have been a member of Al Qaidah - or any synonymous
paramilitary organisation, party or group. Neither have I
engaged in hostile acts against the USA, nor assisted such
groups in the same - though the opportunity has availed itself
many a time, and motive.
Regardless of the outcome of all my appeals to sanity, and
protestations over the years, I reiterate my intention to seek
justice at every possible level available to me. It is with
that intent that I have prepared duplicates of this statement:
for the information and use of the authorities and courts of
justice.
I have requested this document be perused by the camp NCO; the
generality of its contents be recorded in the Camp log; and
forwarded to the appropriate intended recipient.
(Signature)
MOAZZAM BEGG (00558)
Dated this twelfth day of July, 2004. |
Source: BBC News
04 October 2004
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