The first uncensored letter from a British man being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba shows he has been abused, his lawyers have claimed.
Moazzam Begg, 36, from Birmingham, has been detained at the US military base without trial for two-and-a-half years.
His letter, seen by the BBC’s Today programme, said he had been tortured, threatened with death and kept in solitary confinement since early 2003.
Mr Begg is one of four Britons being held at Guantanamo Bay.
Also held are Feroz Abbasi, Martin Mubanga and Richard Belmar, who are all from London.
Lawyers said Mr Begg’s letter, dated 12 July 2004, was an “oddity” and may have been unclassified and uncensored by the US by mistake, said the BBC’s Zubeida Malik.
Speaking on Today she said previous communications had been heavily censored, according to Mr Begg’s lawyers and family.
In the letter Mr Begg demands his rights under US and international law, saying he should be released immediately.
“It’s a very articulate and stark letter in neat handwriting,” she said.
She said the Birmingham man called for all charges against him to be presented “unambiguously”.
Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?
Mr Begg asks in the letter for “logical and reasonable” answers for the “violations and abuses” he has suffered:
“Why was I physically abused and degradingly stripped by force, then paraded in front of several cameras toted by US personnel?”
“The reason for being held in Bagram detention facility (in Afghanistan) for a year and consequently being denied natural light and fresh food for the duration.”
“The exact purpose of my incarceration in solitary confinement since 8 February 2003.”
“Why all news pertaining to my situation is barred from me?”
Any statements he had signed were done so “under duress”, he added, insisting he was an innocent “law-abiding citizen of the UK” who had never had any connections with al-Qaeda or any associated group.
He had also faced religious and racial abuse, he said.
He claimed he had heard other detainees being tortured, and believed this had led to the deaths of two men, which he said he “partially witnessed”.
“It rather answers the further curiosity as to why he is the only one in Guantanamo who has not been seen by anyone else. It suggests he has been a witness to at least one murder,” she told Today.
Mr Begg was arrested in Pakistan before being moved to Cuba.
Five other Britons who spent up to two years at Guantanamo Bay were handed over to British custody in March and were freed without charge.
They also made allegations of abuse while they were detained.
First Uncensored Letter ‘shows Guantanamo abuse’
Racial and Religous abuse, torture and death threats how many times have we heard these words associated with the Amerikkan GI Joes.
This guy has not even been charged with anything no evidence brought forward but still remains illegally jailed and continue to be humiliated under the hands of the real terrorist amerikkan government along with its forces