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Urge Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton to intervene and get Naji released.
- U.S. citizen
- Family man
- Small business owner
- Muslim
- Monitored by FBI for years
- Questioned constantly
- Moves overseas to U.A.E.
- Taken into custody in secret location
- Interrogated
- Tortured
- Forced confessions
- ACLU/SC files for habeas corpus
- Transferred to U.A.E. prison
- Charged with terrorism
- Faces significant time in U.A.E. prisons, notorious for human rights abuses
- U.S. government involvement
- We must do something.
Dear Secretary of State Clinton,
I write out of deep concern for a U.S. citizen and former California resident Naji Hamdan, who is being detained and has been tortured by the United Arab Emirates at the behest of the United States.
I am writing to urge you to take action on this matter.
For nearly a decade, Mr. Hamdan was monitored by the FBI. This surveillance grew more intense and deliberate in the past two years, resulting in multiple FBI agents following him in cars, numerous interrogations, and difficulty flying in and out of U.S. airports. It culminated in a meeting with two FBI agents who flew from Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi to question Mr. Hamdan in the U.S. Embassy there. A few weeks later, Mr. Hamdan was arrested by U.A.E. State Security forces.
From the Al Wathba prison, Mr. Hamdan's description of the torture and interrogation he endured makes clear that at least one American agent was involved. For example, during the torture and interrogation sessions, torturers blindfolded Mr. Hamdan, so that he could not see them. However, Mr. Hamdan noted that one of the interrogators spoke native English with an American accent and did not speak Arabic. He threatened Mr. Hamdan to confess to the false charges or else the torturers would brutalize him. In addition, other agents interrogated Mr. Hamdan in extreme detail about his life and activities when he lived in the United States, from the time that he arrived in the U.S. to the time he departed.
Mr. Hamdan has described severe torture. Mr. Hamdan's captors placed him in a refrigerated, underground room and deprived him of almost all clothing. They severely beat him on his back, legs, head, and the soles of his feet. They kicked him with their military boots in his liver area, even after he disclosed a liver condition. On some occasions, they beat him so badly that he passed out for extended periods of time and believed he would die. On at least one occasion, they strapped his arms and legs down to an electric chair, while threatening to use it. During the course of the torture sessions, the captors threatened his life and the life of his wife and children.
Mr. Hamdan's situation is now urgent. If his prosecution is allowed to proceed in the U.A.E. based on evidence obtained through torture, Mr. Hamdan will receive a deeply unfair trial and unjust sentence.
Please ensure that this U.S. citizen is released and returned to the U.S., where his rights can be protected. Mr. Hamdan should be assured his due process rights. In addition, the role played by the U.S. government in causing Mr. Hamdan's detention and torture must be thoroughly investigated. Mr. Hamdan must be treated as all Americans deserve to be treated, with dignity and respect for their rights.
Thank You.
