[Forbes] Guantanamo prisoner details sleep deprivation

His testimony came in a pretrial hearing at the U.S. war crimes court. Lawyers and human rights groups have accused the military of using sleep deprivation to "soften up" Guantanamo detainees for questioning, but this was the first time a prisoner testified about such treatment.

Notice that this is the first time a prisoner has ever testified about how sleep deprivation is used as a form of torture at Guantanamo.

Jawad's defense has asked the military judge, Army Col. Stephen Henley, to dismiss the charges, saying the sleep deprivation amounted to torture. Prosecutors denied that allegation.

"In no sense is it torture. In no sense is it coercion," said prosecutor and Army Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld. "In no sense is it such mistreatment that charges should be dismissed."

Prison records obtained by the defense show Jawad was moved between cells 112 times over two weeks in May 2004, sometimes after just a few minutes. The prisoner said bright lights were kept on in his cell, and guards made noises and played loud music to keep him awake.

So, those torturers denies that being moved between 100 24hr-lit-cells in 2 weeks is torture.

Records obtained by the defense show he tried to commit suicide on Dec. 25, 2003, even before he was subjected to the "frequent flyer" treatment.

"Islam never permits suicide ... but it was beyond my control," he told the court through a Pashto interpreter. "That's why I tried that."

First he tried killing himself to save himself from torture risking his religious beliefs.

Frakt said he believes the sleep deprivation was done for "sport" or as punishment. "Abnormal sleep deprivation is a form of mental torture," he said.

Vandeveld noted in cross-examination of a sleep expert called by the defense that Jawad was sometimes allowed to remain in his cell for up to four hours. He said the prisoner was offered treatment by military psychiatric personnel.

Then he was forced to be kept alive and awake by military scientists to endure the sleep deprivation.




This isn't torture?



[edit on 7/9/2008 by die_another_day]