German Army Torture in Afghanistan

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press

Sunday November 05, 2006 20:42

by Yusuf

Guantanamo detainee tells of Torture and complicity in illegal detention by German Army and Government

German born Murat Kurnaz (23) was arrested by Pakistani police in 2002 while there on holidays. He was then sold to US forces and brought to Afghanistan where he was tortured by US and German forces before being transported to Guantanamo where he was illegally held and tortured by the US, with the complicity of the German Government for four years.

Murat Kurnaz

Since his release in August 2006, after four years of illegal detention and torture, German born Murat Kurnaz has been telling of his ordeal. Now at home in Bremen, Murat is struggling with the trauma of his ordeal.

In October 2001 Kurnaz traveled to Pakistan to immerse himself in Islam and study before settling down to married life. However when the US invaded Afghanistan they offered large cash rewards for Al-Qaeda suspects and Murat found himself arrested by Pakistani police and taken to a US base in Afghanistan where he was sold for $3000. As an Al-Qaeda suspect he was substantially tortured. As Murat does not speak any Arabic or English he was tortured by Germans who identified themselves as German army special forces, KSK. Initially, the German Government denied there were any German force involved in his torture or in the region at the time but they later admitted there were German forces in the area and the had “contact with him”.

After being transported in blindfolds and chains to Guantanamo Murat soon explained his situation to his interrogators. The US admitted he had no link to terrorism or any group despite being labeled the “Bremen Taliban” by the German media. The US tried to release him to German in late 2002. Internal German intelligence documents containing this request have been seen by journalists. The Germans turned down the request, which astonished the US.

Eventually in 2006 Murat gained release by petitioning a Washington court with US documents that declared his innocence. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder claims he knew nothing of this case or the US request to release Murat to Germany in 2002. German intelligence documents show otherwise.

Germany has been complicit in the illegal capture of German Muslims by US forces and agencies. It has been complicit in the torture and detention of innocent Muslims.

Court documents

http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:i0faO2JmgswJ:guanta...&cd=5

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German Army Torture in Afghanistan