Hunger Strike Diary: Omar Deghayes
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UNCLASSIFIED
Sunday 3
Jafallah Mari only Qatari prisioner [sic***] has fallen in the hunger strike. He was taken to hospital. His weight was 120 pounds now reduced to 103 pounds.
Tuesday 5
Khalid Hatair [?***] was found unconscious in his cell when MP’s wanted to give diner food. He was ill because of the hunger strike. He was taken to hospital.
3pm Shammrani [?***] was taken to Investigation and asked why the hunger strike. He told her disrespect to all religious rituals and this is the fourt year in prison without any charges or clear decision etc..
Wednesday 6
2pm detainee in cell number A2 [?***] started to belled from hunger strike. He is in the third week of hunger strike.
Also the Qatari JarAllah is very sick again they entered his cell with the ERF team to check his blood and presure [sic***].
Friday 8
Many people [?***] to fall from hunger and in Block D [?***] in our block etc..
6.5 pm [?***] a Doctor and a translator threatening people and shoving [?***] them. He says we will force people to take [?***] many detainees would [?***] to take [?***] give them some strength for the days to come but these [censored***] instead of trying to solve the problems.
Saturday 9th
In the morning before 11am several times Doct cam around and asked questiones. Some show concern. This is a new approach unseen in all previous strikes. Whatever the reason their kinds of human attitudes is to be encouraged. And should mend the lost trust between detainees and officials here in the camp.
Monday 11th
The Qatari JarAllah is in hospital since last Friday.
5pm I heared that the strike had spread everywhere in Camp I and Camp II and fourty detainees in Camp IV. The softest Camp and Camp V still very determnet even though we are in the fourth dangerous week. A very good and powerful message to all these arrogant people in charge.
Tuesday 12th
The strikers number in our Block has increased grately I am assured [?***] by ([censored***]) that the strike has certainly spread in all other camps. Many people are in hospital. Do Qarnain [?***] in a serious ill state. I wanted to case conditions on all detainees. But I found morals are very high and everyone is steadfast they want to go on and just continue whatever the costs. If the Authorities here don’t do someth fast to improve things, I think things are getting works and ti will go out of control.
Wednesday 13th
3 pm many more people have fallen unconscious. Some in Block D others in our Block. Ruhan is taken to hospital.
Thursday 14th
More are taken to hospital. From our Block Jamma. In Block C Jihad [?***] to [?***] drinking water for 6 days Now: Ruhani came back from H. He said it was very bessy and the other large hospital is [?***] to take the overload.
Tuesday 19th
(I am back alive) J
I was very sick to write anything last few days in much pain and like dead. Today I heared that even biger numbers in Delta Camp. In (Camp 4) 50 refused to go back to their prisones in protest. They were all removed to back to Camp Delt. When some us heads asked what they demanded to stop the strike. They said go and ask Camp V. Those poor detainees are angry for our treatment and forgoton their own.
Eisa Marbali is taken to hospital and Ghasan Atabi in Block A.
In A [?***] (Kazami) in a total refusal of anything (civil strike). They decided to take him [a]way, I don’t know where.
Wednesday 20th
Omar Ramah is very sick in our Block. He is throwing blood. They gave him cyrum when they found him on the floor in his cell. Galib Fiyhani also.
11.43 am. Ghasan came back from hospital. He also heared that Camp 4 were given unusually nuts and sweets etc… they refused it and said give it to our brothers in Camp V.
Tuesday 19th supper
We held plates and talked between us about the dangerous conditions of Atabi in front of us and Sami in the wheel chair down stairs. We spoke in ([?***]) about their treatment. We asked them to take Sami out from Camp V to where he was Camp IV. He needed help and keeping him in this Camp was killing him though they said he was not a bloody [?***] danger to U.S.A.
Atabi was given 4 tablets of Molrin daily more than 2 weeks. He was not given any medicine. Many Doctors who came about to see the strike promised him medicine but nothi[ng] came. He was brought from an operation to his cell and we asked them to treat him and keep him in hospital. This M drug is a poison if taken in su[?***] quantitiy with all its [?***] side effect.
Wednesday 20th
1.43 pm Atabi collapsesd while he was wlaking with Guards to the shower.
4.35 pm I tided my blanket and realise the dirt bad state it is in. Several months if not a year since I had a change. No facilities to wash it. Now the sun – after the hunger strike I started to realise how bad the water smells and tastes. I am very thursty all the time. I wait for the cup that comes with meals to drink.
– All lessons we had before the strike stoped. Lessons prepared by detainees for each other. I lost my work and revision. No songs or poetry on Friday night anymore. Just many are falling and sounds of illnessess The Block is dead quiet most of the time.
Thursday 21
About 11am a guard moved the Quran of Suhai[l] (Yemeni) in Block B. In protest Rida (Tunisian) was in the rec yard and refused to go in in protest. They brought him in with the ERF hulligans. Cayous in Block B, C and A. Qahatani brok[e] the camera in his cell. ERF moved him to another cell. Other trying to break the little glass on the door. Atmosphere of cayous in the Camp.
more people are starting tomorrow in the hunger strike.
– from 9 pm to now 10.20 pm grand consultation ‘Mahuran’
Abashi who can hardly speak decided alone to hold his plate against all advice. They refused to give him medicine. He is adding to our sorrow. We said to him, tomorrow they will not give you fo[od] he said he wanted to be in the strike. He only ate because we said if you enter the straike many of us in the Block will eat. So for now he is saying they refuse to give me food and I have no choice I am with you in the strike. We are still trying to convince him to hand his plate. He is refusing. Just more to our sadness and misery to see him suffer.
July log book (Jumadi Akhir 1426 H)
Sunday 24th July
Wrote the notes about democracy and a long letter tomy family. I was up all night. Today tired and strike is even biger. Many Afghan in Camp Delta joined in. Another Block in Camp Delta of level one joined the strike. I got soap today. I will wash my clothes. Sami lay then under my cell tried shout and speak to me. But I could not her him. I shouted he did not hear me either. Yesterday I started revision again.
Monday 25th Jul
Stoped revision because I am very tired again from the strike. 10.20pm got soap so I washed my shirt. Atabi is gone to meet the lawyer. Omar Ramah is taken to hospital. Shammrani also collapsed at lunch time. Gubran said that they refused Jatar, Oshan, and Mohammed Sudani. Good news. I am fed up with the strike. I cannot do my reivision and other work. However I am at the last pages of Paxman’s book. Very good book and provokes thoughts and reflection. Thoush I do disagree on things. But very good book. I think thats how a research on subjects should be done. I wonder if his other books are as good as this.; Clive the Americans did not give me the other bookes you brought [.***] Sulaiman’s pictures. He has not changed a lot. The letters the Americans gave me only some of them.
Tuesday 24th July
I received four parcels of mail from Clive. Great news in them. Gave the summary to everyone in Block. Another sitting for the details. Clive I think you still think I don’t trust you you are completely wrong. I trust you now very much. I notived that you inte[n]ded good. I done, realy, a Great Job. But I think you are wounded deeply. You must forgive me for all the accusations begore. You must realise the bad suspicious conditions we are under and psycalogical warfare we are under. This strike is the longest strike of all previous four strikes in these camps. Prisoners are still determent.
5.30 pm – we all decided to end the strike – for one month. Because the General and offiver promised to fullfel many conditions. Shakir is going round the camps and Blocks to relay this message with General PCO. My counting is 26th of July but some one said is the 27th It is very likely that I am [?***].
11pm
Reading the news Clive has done so much even for Libya. The conf[e]rence in London of opposition parties. I think he has a lot to cause it and move the media and ground for such move. He realy deserves lots of credit. I hops I can repay you one day. First you move Amnesty later to make a report on Libya. Then brought the media attention and scholars (simply Great work).
Wednesday 27 July
The strike has stoped for one month, to give the General the time he required to implement all condition., he agreed and promised. If demands were not implemented we will InshaAllah) return again to hunger strike. We had detainees entering the strike in turns in groups. One group after another after a period of time passess. More than 250 sytriked because there turn has come but there are others who were in there waiting and did not even get the chance to enter yet. The General conditioned that we throw nothing on Guards during this month. He promised treatment under Geneva convention, respect of Quran and rituals. Religious book and others. Better food and conditions and many other things he said, we will see.
Thursday 28 July
About 4 am I received early morning food before dawn for fast[?***]. It was very good. They changed it. It may cost the same price as before. But it was made this time for human being. It had the same amount of eggs but this time boiled. The same peace of bred etc. Also, last night sapper was very good though it had the same lentals and same tomato and bread. But was cooked for humans this time. This shows what they were doing before. They intended to make detainees’ life miserable. It was not the cost of food or amount we were complaining about . But exactly what they now done and rectified. Cooked properly for human consumption. We never touched on the problem or articulated specificaly this, But they rectified it when things were serious. They knew since Miller changed it to this what the real problem was it was deliberate act to cause irretation. We have no media access. No one new when we started the strike tha the US Government and its cronies where making a big Probagand about the food and what it costs. Senators reading menus in the Senate!! Etc. The strike [?***]y Allah’s will coincided with all the lies making them now, I am sure, looking very stupied with little news I [?***]. But timing of the strike answered all their lies. The cost is [?***].
Thursday 28 July
Yesterday Atabic came back from meeting his attorney. He said that 3 bombes hit London city. I am thinking who will put such bombes in London in this time!! To whose benefit?? The British people have supported the cause and plight of those mistreated in Gitmao. The media, politician and human rights lawyers and organizations are in the forefront in talking against Bushes’ policy / who put htose bombes an why now. If Iraq was the reason it would have been long ago. But I think it could be the Bush’s administration’s work wthrough IRA or even ARAB countries. Such as Libya and Regieme [?***] Gadafi is famous for this kind of work against countries that host opposition groups. He air raided Khartoom’s Radio when it gave broadcasting time to opposition leaders in the days of Nomari. He tires and succeeded in killing disdants in Regent’s Park mosques Mohammed Ramadan. He was a BBC Arabic service broadcaster (news reader). He paid a black criminal to kill Abuzaid in London in his shop when I lived there. He gave through his agent poisionous sweets to children of Ahammed a diplant in Manchester which cause the children permanent illnesses and loss of all hair. Two agents came to their house spoke Arabic and asked for their father, he was not at home. So they joked with the two little kids passing as a friend of their gather and gave them sweets. (This was in the 80’s) Many other assassinations in Rome Athens etc..
In 78 he sended a group of armed Tunisian trained in Libya to the control and cause problemes in Qafsa a border city in Tunis[ia] when they supported opposition groups [?**]. His invasion of Chad because ofg Libyan’s oppsition groups there. I am not saying this because of my dislike to Gadaf[i] and his regimes. But this is some of Gadafi has done in the past. He is very sensitive to any opposition of this kinde. He mended relations with Moroco and Egypet and Saudi Arabia and made a big and Fran u turns in his policies embarcing ones just to capture and stop this kinde of opposition activities. It (bombing in London) can be the work of [ – ] maybe reactivating IRA cell and refunding again etc.. [ – ] any other Arab government. The Algerian Dictators made a similar actions to bombings in Paris when they were fighting Islamic Muzaheerden in the mountains of Algeria. They were critisised by media and many human rights organizations and lawyers in Frnace. The famous lawyer [?***] wrote a book critisising the Algerian military in power and their treatment, torture and policies against Muslims in their country. The Algerian regieme was causght red handed in these bombing in the last decade or less. With Algerian agents deflecting from the government and admitting to such activities int eh French media.
I do not see how such bom[b]ings in London can enhance any Islamic cause. Britain is the best country in the world in treating its Muslim minorities and provides refuge to many others persecuted in their own countries. The relatively fair justice an protection of rights, freedom and religious practice / tolerance that exist is one of the best in world today. Even the Government’s decision to join the war in Iraq, which is a very interesting one, can be changed through media and public awareness. I am sure the majority of British public are against any war. Regardless of what Bush crusades. Because of this I would conclude not Islamic group would want to bomb London.
Friday 29
After dawn prayer. They brough me some items saying I [?***] as has everyone in the Camp. They gave me is comb. I brushed my hair and beared for the first time since April 2002. We are in July 2005.
9am – I wrote the Blocks demands to send them to a detainee the General appointed as a leader of Camp V. Because he was to sit with the militry soon to give them all demands. The Block surgent told me he new about this new arrangement of official representative of Detainees and possibility to send letters to him through heads of Blocks. But said only SOG can handle the letters. I asked to see the SOG at 10 pm to give him the letter. Then at 10 am Bs came and said the mecanic to process their exchange of letter has not been implement[ed] yet! And he can not take the letter.
Monday August 1st
About 8 o clock. Things are not going good. The food, they went back to previous food all the last days. They changed the food for two days and gave peper and chili sauce etc. Then they made sure now everyone has ended the strike they then went back as usual. Qhatani down stairs was not given level one clothes. I spoke to the SOG he said the General made so. Because he pulled the hand of a Guard afer the agreement I told him that I think he should not have doen so. But he did not keep his promise because he was present when the General came in with Shakir and promised that food will change, clean water will be given with meals. International laws would apply to everyone in detention and he asked only for 15 days etc.. When everyone next day ended the strike because to give time to him (General) as he asked to implement these conditions he went back on everything or many things. He Qhatani might of felt betrayed as has all his friends have been. Then felt wronged and done what he has done. The SOG said I cannot do anything because if is the General’s decision. (when ‘or was’ striked he said it was the decision of the [?***]! I think they hate him badly) [?***] I told him tell the General that this is how we see it and we will all stand with him, if he is not given clothes like everybody else.
Then I sended to Quatani asking what exactly has happened with eth Guard. I admit I am annoyed with him because he did not tell me in the beginning about it and told me only that they refused to give him clothes.
It does seem very likely that the strike will restart again. I am very frustrated with these cuning officers and worthless men of no word. In Arabic we look down on such people.
Wednesday 3rd Aug 11 pm
Things have improved a lot. This morning good food. Change of clothes for everyone. New internment clothes. Good t shirts and boxer shorts. Official meeting of all heads of Blocks with pen and paper and cold water was supplied! Heads of camps meet with the General to finalise agreements. Things are very good. J. Relations with the guard improved. All trubles are stoped by an order from head of camps and head of Blocks (detainees of course!)
