Abdulrahman’s Letters of Torture

Since Abdulrahman is far away from his family and he is not able to call, he writes letters as a form of communication. It is in these letters which he describes and showcases the harsh and inhumane prison conditions.

Letters – March 25, 2020

After I was in handcuffs and commanded to go on my knees facing the wall, 3 c.os [correctional officer/guard] came in, one pressing me with a shield so I don’t move.”

“*Okay, I understand they are changing my clothes* I thought. It was clothes made of paper, made to rip and be as uncomfortable as possible, the cuffs, belly chain and shackles were so tight I could hardly breathe or feel my hands.”

“After desperately failing to eat with my hands, I set the tray on the concrete slab, went on my knees and ate like a dog”

(He was then moved into a cold cage)

“Anyway I was left in that cold cage for a couple more hours, at this point I [was] in tight restraints for 7 hours and they were getting the better of me. I was going crazy, groaning in pain and talking to myself out loud sitting on the floor in the cold cage, it was all just a way for me to cope.”

“Just like I ate like an animal, I’ll use the bathroom like an animal. But animals don’t get tied in chains, no that’s animal abuse, so the treatment is worse than an animal.”

“I was in them [restraints] for 10 hours, as they came off I [saw] bruises and marks all over my wrists and waist. As I write this I can still see the marks on my wrists, and it’s been over a month.”

“People think that isolation is hard [because] we’re locked alone all day, but that’s the best part. When you consider them [correctional officers/guards] taking us out to put us in restraints, tie us to the bed, take all our stuff or make us go on our knees for hours (another incident that happened to me), we want to be left alone in a cell, that’s the best part of isolation”

Letters – April 17, 2020

“Making me stay on my knees for hours, tying me to chains, taking away my clothes and giving me false tickets. Its like torture here highest security and punishment, even the way they make me bend over and walk backwards or go on my knee’s with head down”

“Camera in my cell, watch me use the bathroom, no human contact, and at any time they can come and take me out the cell to put me in chains (restraints), take my clothes, put me on my knees facing the wall”

“They [prison guards] took me out again to use my cell to tie someone to the bed but they didn’t put me in another cell, they left me in a cold cage for 10 hours, handcuffed half the time – then the next day they did the same thing again!”

Next: Abdulrahman’s Letters

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"What makes this story even more disturbing is that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) knowingly participated in this sting with the FBI. They unlawfully obtained Abdulrahman’s medical records that described his mental health vulnerabilities and provided them to the FBI to better manipulate this damaged youth.

This raises serious human rights concerns of discriminatory investigations, targeting vulnerable youths such as Abdulrahman, who had no previous history of violence or criminality, until drawn in by a U.S. government actively involved in developing the plot, persuading and pressuring the target to participate."

Dennis Edney

Canadian Defence lawyer