Barclay (Dark Angel)
Ninja Hippy
From http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3706050.stm
Institutionalised Abuse? I think so...
Hugs,
Barclay
Letter 'shows Guantanamo abuse'
Moazzam Begg's family has campaigned for his release
The first uncensored letter from a British man being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba shows he has been abused, his lawyers have claimed.
Moazzam Begg, 36, from Birmingham, has been detained at the US military base without trial for two-and-a-half years.
His letter, seen by the BBC's Today programme, said he had been tortured, threatened with death and kept in solitary confinement since early 2003.
The US has previously denied claims of bad treatment at the camp.
Mr Begg is one of four Britons being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Also detained are Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga and Richard Belmar, who are all from London.
'Under duress'
Lawyers said Mr Begg's letter, dated 12 July 2004, was an "oddity" and may have been unclassified and uncensored by the US by mistake, said the BBC's Zubeida Malik.
Speaking on Today she said previous communications had been heavily censored, according to Mr Begg's lawyers and family.
In the letter Mr Begg demands his rights under US and international law, saying he should be released immediately.
"It's a very articulate and stark letter in neat handwriting," she said.
Why is all news pertaining to my situation barred from me?
Moazzam Begg
Plea from Guantanamo - extracts
She said the Birmingham man called for all charges against him to be presented "unambiguously".
Mr Begg asks in the letter for "logical and reasonable" answers for the "violations and abuses" he has suffered:
"Why was I physically abused and degradingly stripped by force, then paraded in front of several cameras toted by US personnel?"
"The reason for being held in Bagram detention facility (in Afghanistan) for a year and consequently being denied natural light and fresh food for the duration."
"The exact purpose of my incarceration in solitary confinement since 8 February 2003."
"Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?"
Any statements he had signed were done so "under duress", he added, insisting he was an innocent "law-abiding citizen of the UK" who had never had any connections with al-Qaeda or any associated group.
During interviews - mostly, but not solely, in Afghanistan - he claimed he had been subject to "pernicious threats of torture, actual vindictive torture and death threats".
He had also faced religious and racial abuse, he said.
Allegations
He claimed he had heard other detainees being tortured, and believed this had led to the deaths of two men, which he said he "partially witnessed".
His lawyer Gareth Peirce said the letter reinforced what the legal team and family had believed was happening to Mr Begg.
"It rather answers the further curiosity as to why he is the only one in Guantanamo who has not been seen by anyone else. It suggests he has been a witness to at least one murder," she told Today.
Copies of the letter have been sent to Tony Blair, Home Secretary David Blunkett and the Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith, said Mr Begg's legal team.
The Foreign Office said the welfare of British detainees at Guantanamo has been a priority for the government "from the outset" and that it continued to pursue complaints raised with the US authorities.
It said during welfare visits to the military base, Mr Begg had not alleged systematic abuse there, but had claimed mistreatment at Begram, which was being investigated by the US.
Mr Begg was arrested in Pakistan before being moved to Cuba.
Five other Britons who spent up to two years at Guantanamo Bay were handed over to British custody in March and were freed without charge.
They also made allegations of abuse while they were detained.
Institutionalised Abuse? I think so...
Hugs,
Barclay
Letter 'shows Guantanamo abuse'
Moazzam Begg's family has campaigned for his release
The first uncensored letter from a British man being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba shows he has been abused, his lawyers have claimed.
Moazzam Begg, 36, from Birmingham, has been detained at the US military base without trial for two-and-a-half years.
His letter, seen by the BBC's Today programme, said he had been tortured, threatened with death and kept in solitary confinement since early 2003.
The US has previously denied claims of bad treatment at the camp.
Mr Begg is one of four Britons being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Also detained are Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga and Richard Belmar, who are all from London.
'Under duress'
Lawyers said Mr Begg's letter, dated 12 July 2004, was an "oddity" and may have been unclassified and uncensored by the US by mistake, said the BBC's Zubeida Malik.
Speaking on Today she said previous communications had been heavily censored, according to Mr Begg's lawyers and family.
In the letter Mr Begg demands his rights under US and international law, saying he should be released immediately.
"It's a very articulate and stark letter in neat handwriting," she said.
Why is all news pertaining to my situation barred from me?
Moazzam Begg
Plea from Guantanamo - extracts
She said the Birmingham man called for all charges against him to be presented "unambiguously".
Mr Begg asks in the letter for "logical and reasonable" answers for the "violations and abuses" he has suffered:
"Why was I physically abused and degradingly stripped by force, then paraded in front of several cameras toted by US personnel?"
"The reason for being held in Bagram detention facility (in Afghanistan) for a year and consequently being denied natural light and fresh food for the duration."
"The exact purpose of my incarceration in solitary confinement since 8 February 2003."
"Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?"
Any statements he had signed were done so "under duress", he added, insisting he was an innocent "law-abiding citizen of the UK" who had never had any connections with al-Qaeda or any associated group.
During interviews - mostly, but not solely, in Afghanistan - he claimed he had been subject to "pernicious threats of torture, actual vindictive torture and death threats".
He had also faced religious and racial abuse, he said.
Allegations
He claimed he had heard other detainees being tortured, and believed this had led to the deaths of two men, which he said he "partially witnessed".
His lawyer Gareth Peirce said the letter reinforced what the legal team and family had believed was happening to Mr Begg.
"It rather answers the further curiosity as to why he is the only one in Guantanamo who has not been seen by anyone else. It suggests he has been a witness to at least one murder," she told Today.
Copies of the letter have been sent to Tony Blair, Home Secretary David Blunkett and the Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith, said Mr Begg's legal team.
The Foreign Office said the welfare of British detainees at Guantanamo has been a priority for the government "from the outset" and that it continued to pursue complaints raised with the US authorities.
It said during welfare visits to the military base, Mr Begg had not alleged systematic abuse there, but had claimed mistreatment at Begram, which was being investigated by the US.
Mr Begg was arrested in Pakistan before being moved to Cuba.
Five other Britons who spent up to two years at Guantanamo Bay were handed over to British custody in March and were freed without charge.
They also made allegations of abuse while they were detained.
