London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, May 23, 2025

Drawings by Guantanamo Bay prisoner expose brutality of US ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’

Drawings by Guantanamo Bay prisoner expose brutality of US ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’

A Guantanamo Bay prisoner has revealed in detail the abuse and torture he said he suffered at the hands of US security forces at the infamous prison.
Abu Zubaydah, a stateless Palestinian who was detained by US forces in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in 2002, produced drawings of brutal treatment during his imprisonment and interrogation at various US “black sites” and Guantanamo Bay.

They were drawn from memory in his cell and sent to one of his lawyers, Professor Mark Denbeaux.

Denbeaux has co-authored a report based on Abu Zubaydah’s account titled “American Torturers: FBI and CIA Abuses at Dark Sites and Guantanamo,” a summary of which was published in the Guardian newspaper on Thursday, which offered an unprecedented insight into what the CIA calls its “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

His graphic drawings depict in detail various torture methods used by the CIA against him and other detainees, while also highlighting the “complicity” of FBI agents in the abuse and mistreatment of detainees, the report said.

Abu Zubaydah was the first detainee in the post-Sept. 11 terrorist attacks era to be experimented on using the EITs, which include slaps and punches to the body, waterboarding, direction of high-pressure cold water at the genitals and 24-hour use of loudspeakers and cold air while chained to a cell wall.

Following his capture by US forces, he was moved from Pakistan to a black site in Thailand, and over the course of four years suffered abuse and torture at CIA black sites in Afghanistan, Lithuania, Poland and Morocco before being transferred to the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay in 2006.

The CIA and FBI have acknowledged Abu Zubaydah was not a member of Al-Qaeda as initially suspected and that his case was one of “mistaken identity,” but he has been imprisoned without charge or trial ever since.

His treatment has been criticized by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention as having “no lawful basis.” The withdrawing of his freedoms constituted a “crime against humanity” and the UK was “jointly responsible for the torture and cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of Mr. Zubaydah,” the group added.

“Not only are these drawings a powerful testament to what the CIA and FBI did in the wake of 9/11, they are the only evidence now,” the Center for Policy and Research report authors Denbeaux and Jess Ghannam said.

“The CIA destroyed the only video evidence of detainee torture, and ‘justice’ moves at a glacial pace in the Guantanamo Bay, Military Commission courtroom, 19 years have been wasted while Mr. Abu Zubaydah and many other GTMO prisoners have neither been charged with a crime, nor allowed to testify,” they added.

Meanwhile, Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner and outreach director at London-based advocacy group for War on Terror victims CAGE, said Abu Zubaydah’s drawings will be key in highlighting what has gone on at Guantanamo Bay.

“They call him the ‘forever prisoner’ because, despite facing no charge or trial in 21 years, they fear to release Abu Zubaydah not because of what he did but what was done to him,” he said.

“In truth, it will be forever be remembered that the US’ 21st-century medieval torture program was invented against a stateless Palestinian and it was his case that caused the United Nations to finally describe Guantanamo as a ‘crime against humanity.’

“Abu Zubaydah is innocent according to the law so he must be released, and when he’s free, his iconic self-portraits of CIA torture featured in the report will have done their job.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Justice Secretary Advocates for Good Conduct Release Policies to Alleviate Prison Overcrowding
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
UK Transfers Chagos Islands Sovereignty to Mauritius in Strategic Agreement
Bitcoin Surpasses $111,000 Mark for the First Time
Key Developments in UK Business and Economy
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Leaked Secret Report: How the Muslim Brotherhood Is Expanding in France—With Qatari Funding
BYD Surpasses Tesla in European Electric Vehicle Sales
West Nile Virus Detected in UK Mosquitoes for First Time
UK Exposes Russian Cyber Campaign Targeting Ukraine Aid Networks
UK Inflation Rises to 3.5% in April Amid Household Bill Increases
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Taiwan claims China is using cash to win over developing nations
European Parliament Suspends Huawei Lobbyists Amid Corruption Probe
Industry Leaders Express Skepticism Over EU's New Single Market Strategy
European Parliament Considers Lifting Immunity of Five MEPs in Huawei Investigation
‘Plane Full of English Animals’: Footage Documents EasyJet Flight Chaos to Ibiza
Trump and Ramaphosa Hold Contentious White House Meeting Amid Diplomatic Strains
US Billionaires' Wealth Surges by $365 Billion Amid Tax Cut Debate
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Federal Trial on Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Charges
India Blocks Thousands of Social Media Accounts Amid Tensions with Pakistan
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Ontario Manufacturers Warn U.S. Tariffs Could Create Economic 'Ghost Town'
UK and EU Reach Landmark Post-Brexit Deal to Reset Relations
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Trump Demands Probe into Kamala Harris for Paying Celebs to Fake Endorsements
At Age 92, the World’s Oldest President Has No Succession Plan — and That Could Spark a Crisis
U.S. Concerns Mount Over Chinese 'Kill Switch' Components Found in Solar Power Infrastructure
Bipartisan Criticism Surrounds Trump's Cryptocurrency Ventures
Diplomatic Efforts on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Mexican Navy Ship Collides with Brooklyn Bridge, Injuries Reported
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
U.S. and Philippine Forces Test High-Powered Microwave Weapons in Joint Exercise
China Unveils Advanced AI Surveillance Tools at 12th Police Equipment Expo
Japan's Three Major Banks Report Record High Net Profits for Second Consecutive Year
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
US and EU Make Progress in Trade Talks, While Vietnam Negotiations Also Advance
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Ex-Girlfriend Cassie Ventura Testifies About Alleged Abuse
Former Wales Rugby Star Jamie Roberts to Pursue Medical Career
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
Passenger Travels Under Wrong Identity on British Airways Flight
Former FBI Director James Comey Questioned by Secret Service Over Social Media Post
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
After 108 Years: Moody’s Downgrades U.S. Credit Rating
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
×