Murat Kurnaz describes systematic torture in Guantanamo
{{date|November 15, 2006}}

[[w:Murat Kurnaz|Murat Kurnaz]], a Turk born and raised in Germany, who was held in extrajudicial detention by the United States for five years, described systematic torture while held in the 
[[w:Guantanamo Bay detainment camp|Guantanamo Bay detainment camp]] in [[Cuba]].

Kurnaz alleges he was subjected to electric shocks, waterboarding, the technique of leading a victim to feel he was on the verge of drowning, being shackled to the ceiling for days on end, being denied food, one time for a period of twenty days.

Kurnaz's case first received widespread scrutiny in March of 2005, when his fully classified dossier was accidentally briefly declassified. 

One allegation against Kurnaz was that he had been a friend of a man who killed himself during a suicide bombing mission. However the dossier revealed that his friend, the alleged suicide bomber, was alive and well and living in Germany. The Bremen Prosecutor's office had certified that his friend, who American intelligence analysts had initially alleged was a suicide bomber, was found to be innocent.

Another allegation was that he had traveled with a group of missionaries from the Pakistani missionary group [[w:Tablighi Jamaat|Tablighi Jamaat]]. The files submitted on Kurnaz's behalf to his [[w:Administrative Rewiew Board|Administrative Rewiew Board]] by lawyers filing his [[w:Habeas corpus|writ of habeas corpus]] contained three letter from American professors of religious studies, who had studied the Tablighi Jamaat. The letters from these experts were consistent in their description of the Tablighi Jamaat as a large apolitical organization.

Unlike Christian missionary groups the Tablighi Jamaat only worked among fellow muslims. Missions consisted of traveling, in small groups, between mosques in foreign lands. The missionaries would discuss the practice of Islam in their various nations, and the practice of Islam in their host mosques.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/11/ex-guantanamo-bay-detainee-describes.php
|title=Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee describes systematic torture 
|author=
|pub=The Jurist
|date=November 14, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2006/November/theworld_November460.xml&section=theworld
|title=Former prisoner tells of torture at Guantanamo
|author=
|pub=Khaleej Times
|date=November 14, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/24/AR2006082401489.html
|title=U.S. Frees Longtime Detainee
|author=Craig Whitlock,
|pub=Washington Post
|date=August 26, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/25/AR2006082501270.html
|title=Turk Was Abused at Guantanamo, Lawyers Say
|author=Shannon Smiley and Craig Whitlock,
|pub=Washington Post
|date=August 26, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/ARB_Transcript_Set_5_20000-20254.pdf 
|title=letter on behalf of [[w:Murat Kurnaz|Murat Kurnaz]] from [[w:Jamal L. Elias|Jamal L. Elias]] from from pages  103-105 of Transcript Set 5 
|author=[[w:OARDEC|OARDEC]],
|pub=Administrative Review Board
|date=December 13, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3868-2005Mar26.html 
|title=Panel Ignored Evidence on Detainee
|author=Carol D. Leonnig,
|pub=Washington Post
|date=March 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A12431-2005Feb9?language=printer
|title=Detainees Accuse Female Interrogators 
|author=Carol D. Leonnig and [[w:Dana Priest|Dana Priest]],
|pub=Washington Post
|date=February 18, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/ARB_Transcript_Set_5_20000-20254.pdf 
|title=letter on behalf of [[w:Murat Kurnaz|Murat Kurnaz]] from [[w:Qamar-ul Hadu|Qamar-ul Hadu]] from from pages 93-95 of Transcript Set 5 
|author=[[w:OARDEC|OARDEC]],
|pub=Administrative Review Board
|date=January 7, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/foi/detainees/csrt/ARB_Transcript_Set_5_20000-20254.pdf 
|title=letter on behalf of [[w:Murat Kurnaz|Murat Kurnaz]] from [[w:Barbard D. Metcalf|Barbard D. Metcalf]] from from pages 96-97 of Transcript Set 5 
|author=[[w:OARDEC|OARDEC]],
|pub=Administrative Review Board
|date=}}

{{Archived}}
{{publish}}
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Islam]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Suicide attacks]]
Murat Kurnaz, a Turk born and raised in Germany, who was held in extrajudicial detention by the United States for five years, described systematic torture while held in the 
Guantanamo Bay detainment camp in Cuba.

Kurnaz alleges he was subjected to electric shocks, waterboarding, the technique of leading a victim to feel he was on the verge of drowning, being shackled to the ceiling for days on end, being denied food, one time for a period of twenty days.

Kurnaz's case first received widespread scrutiny in March of 2005, when his fully classified dossier was accidentally briefly declassified. 

One allegation against Kurnaz was that he had been a friend of a man who killed himself during a suicide bombing mission. However the dossier revealed that his friend, the alleged suicide bomber, was alive and well and living in Germany. The Bremen Prosecutor's office had certified that his friend, who American intelligence analysts had initially alleged was a suicide bomber, was found to be innocent.

Another allegation was that he had traveled with a group of missionaries from the Pakistani missionary group Tablighi Jamaat. The files submitted on Kurnaz's behalf to his Administrative Rewiew Board by lawyers filing his writ of habeas corpus contained three letter from American professors of religious studies, who had studied the Tablighi Jamaat. The letters from these experts were consistent in their description of the Tablighi Jamaat as a large apolitical organization.

Unlike Christian missionary groups the Tablighi Jamaat only worked among fellow muslims. Missions consisted of traveling, in small groups, between mosques in foreign lands. The missionaries would discuss the practice of Islam in their various nations, and the practice of Islam in their host mosques.
Politics and conflicts Crime and law Islam Religion United States North America Germany Europe Suicide attacks