Photo: New York Times. Mohamed Bashmilah, left, in 2008.
Based on CIA documents made public last week, at least 26 prisoners were "wrongfully detained." The New York Times profiles of one of them, whom the United States government held in secret prisons for 19 months. Mohamed Farag Bashmilah survived torture, including solitary confinement, which he says was the worst form.
From Scott Shane's report:
Mr. Bashmilah has told them of being tortured in Jordan before he was handed over to the C.I.A., which at times kept him shackled alone in freezing-cold cells in Afghanistan, subjected to loud music 24 hours a day. He attempted suicide at least three times, once by saving pills and swallowing them all at once; once by slashing his wrists; and once by trying to hang himself. Another time he cut himself and used his own blood to write "this is unjust" on the wall.
Has he received an apology? Has he received compensation? Was the ACLU's lawsuit against the Boeing subsidiary that led to this man and others being tortured at 'black sites' allowed to proceed? No, no, no.
"Amid Details on Torture, Data on 26 Who Were Held in Error" [nytimes.com]
Related: "Macedonia helped CIA kidnap and torture a German they mistook for a terrorist"
