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Tag: Office of Military Commissions
Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari the 37 year old Kuwaiti citizen who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for nearly 11 years on purely ‘hearsay evidence’ has been profiled in the New York Times. The Project Kuwaiti Freedom states “Al Kandari was a 27 year-old student who went to Afghanistan during his summer vacation in 2001 to render humanitarian aid. It was his belief that helping others might honor his grandmother, who had just died, and bring better health to his mother, who was suffering from cancer. After being captured by U.S. forces, he wrote in a message to his family that an American investigator had questioned him and found nothing against him, and he believed he would soon be freed. He wrote in a Red Cross letter, “If the construction of a mosque…or the digging of a well is the sin that makes me a detainee, then I willingly accept my detention.” Al Kandari according to his Lawyers, is as an example of a detainee for whom all the evidence against him is ‘hearsay evidence’. "Indeed, the evidence considered persuasive by the Tribunal is made up almost entirely of hearsay evidence recorded by unidentified individuals with no first hand knowledge of the events they describe." A tribunal report noted. Al Kandari’s lead attorney from the Office of Military Commissions, Lieutenant Colonel Barry D. Wingard states “Outside of the CSRT process, this type of evidence is more commonly referred to as 'rumor'” and that "Vague charges made it difficult to defend his client …There simply is no evidence other than he is a Muslim in Afghanistan at the wrong time, other than double and triple hearsay statements, something I have never seen as justification for incarceration…” Al Kandari is still subjected to harsh treatment and has been subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation, physical abuse, being placed in stress positions, sexual humiliation, and the use of extreme temperature, loud music and dogs.”  Inspired by Project Kuwaiti Freedom ow.ly/hYChK Image source New York Times ow.ly/hYCfz All evidence against him is hearsay evidence (March 10 2013)

 

Fayiz Mohammed Ahmed Al Kandari the 37 year old Kuwaiti citizen who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for nearly 11 years on purely ‘hearsay evidence’ has been profiled in the New York Times. The Project Kuwaiti Freedom states “Al Kandari was a 27 year-old student who went to Afghanistan during his summer vacation in 2001 to render humanitarian aid. It was his belief that helping others might honor his grandmother, who had just died, and bring better health to his mother, who was suffering from cancer. After being captured by U.S. forces, he wrote in a message to his family that an American investigator had questioned him and found nothing against him, and he believed he would soon be freed. He wrote in a Red Cross letter, “If the construction of a mosque…or the digging of a well is the sin that makes me a detainee, then I willingly accept my detention.” Al Kandari according to his Lawyers, is as an example of a detainee for whom all the evidence against him is ‘hearsay evidence’. “Indeed, the evidence considered persuasive by the Tribunal is made up almost entirely of hearsay evidence recorded by unidentified individuals with no first hand knowledge of the events they describe.” A tribunal report noted. Al Kandari’s lead attorney from the Office of Military Commissions, Lieutenant Colonel Barry D. Wingard states “Outside of the CSRT process, this type of evidence is more commonly referred to as ‘rumor’” and that “Vague charges made it difficult to defend his client …There simply is no evidence other than he is a Muslim in Afghanistan at the wrong time, other than double and triple hearsay statements, something I have never seen as justification for incarceration…” Al Kandari is still subjected to harsh treatment and has been subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation, physical abuse, being placed in stress positions, sexual humiliation, and the use of extreme temperature, loud music and dogs.”

 

Inspired by Project Kuwaiti Freedom ow.ly/hYChK Image source New York Times ow.ly/hYCfz

Kevin Bogucki the 48 year old American Naval Lieutenant Commander assigned to the Office of Military Commissions as a military defense lawyer with the Department of Defense, has requested to spend two nights in prison cells at Guantanamo Bay in order to understand conditions in which 9/11 accused are held. Chris McGreal in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Lawyers for 9/11 suspects ask to be locked up at Guantanamo’ states “Lawyers defending Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and four of his co-accused have asked to be locked up for two nights in the Guantánamo prison in order to understand the conditions in which their clients are held. The US government has objected to the request on the grounds that it "could endanger the lives of those involved in such a visit" and instead offered an escorted tour. …Bogucki, likened the government's offer to the "jungle ride at Disneyland", where visitors think the mechanical elephant is real. He said he wanted a "full and meaningful inspection". None of the defence lawyers have ever seen inside the maximum security facility, Camp 7, where detainees captured and tortured by the CIA – including Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times – are held. …A government lawyer, Major Rob McGovern, said the authorities would agree to the lawyers visiting the prison but only on a two hour escorted trip without the detainees present. He derided the notion that defence lawyers would be walking around in their client's shoes for 48 hours. ... McGovern said it was to ensure the safety of the visiting attorneys. Defence lawyers said they did not feel in danger from their own clients.”  Inspired by Chris McGreal, The Guardian ow.ly/hLRIs Image source Facebook ow.ly/hLRGA Likened offer to the jungle ride at Disneyland (February 22 2013)

 

Kevin Bogucki the 48 year old American Naval Lieutenant Commander assigned to the Office of Military Commissions as a military defense lawyer with the Department of Defense, has requested to spend two nights in prison cells at Guantanamo Bay in order to understand conditions in which 9/11 accused are held. Chris McGreal in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Lawyers for 9/11 suspects ask to be locked up at Guantanamo’ states “Lawyers defending Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, and four of his co-accused have asked to be locked up for two nights in the Guantánamo prison in order to understand the conditions in which their clients are held. The US government has objected to the request on the grounds that it “could endanger the lives of those involved in such a visit” and instead offered an escorted tour. …Bogucki, likened the government’s offer to the “jungle ride at Disneyland”, where visitors think the mechanical elephant is real. He said he wanted a “full and meaningful inspection”. None of the defence lawyers have ever seen inside the maximum security facility, Camp 7, where detainees captured and tortured by the CIA – including Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times – are held. …A government lawyer, Major Rob McGovern, said the authorities would agree to the lawyers visiting the prison but only on a two hour escorted trip without the detainees present. He derided the notion that defence lawyers would be walking around in their client’s shoes for 48 hours. … McGovern said it was to ensure the safety of the visiting attorneys. Defence lawyers said they did not feel in danger from their own clients.”

 

Inspired by Chris McGreal, The Guardian ow.ly/hLRIs Image source Facebook ow.ly/hLRGA

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