Al-Jabour believes that this site was in Afghanistan. The reasons he gave for this include the food he was served, that the weather got colder than in most parts of Pakistan and the fact that one of the site’s directors spoke fluent Farsi. He claims that all of the staff, with the possible exception of the site’s Arabic translators, were from the US. Al-Jabour was told that he was in US custody. The staff had US accents. He was held at this site for 25 months.
On arrival at the site al-Jabour was taken into a cell and had his clothes cut off him and one of his hands let out of the handcuffs. His other hand was cuffed to a ring on the wall. The cell was about one meter wide by two meters long. The cell had a video camera near the ceiling, speakers and a listening device built into its walls.

After his first night at the facility he was taken, still naked, into an interrogation room. The room had a number of people in it including women, a doctor and someone who made a video of al-Jabour’s body. He was told by the "emir" (director) of the site that if he cooperated, he would be treated well.

Al-Jabour was interrogated regularly. He was shown photos of many individuals and asked to identify them. On a number of occasions his interrogators threatened to put him into a wooden container that measured 1 by 1 metre. Al-Jabour referred to this container as a ‘dog box’ and claims that he was told it had been used to gain the cooperation of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Al-Jabour states that he was slapped a number of times during the initial period of his detention, but was not beaten while held at this site. However, the site guards often cuffed him in uncomfortable positions and rock music was often played at high volumes for prolonged periods of time, lasting up to a week. Low intensity ‘white noise’ was a constant presence.

CIA records cited by the SSCI report confirm that al-Jabour was tortured during his time in CIA detention, including through the use of “rectal rehydration” without evidence of medical necessity.

After a fortnight at the site al-Jabour was provided with a Koran. He was given a prayer mat three months later. Over the course of his first eight months at this site he received clothes in a piecemeal fashion. This process ended when he was given a pair of shoes.

Al-Jabour claims that his treatment improved considerably after his first six months at this site. He was moved, briefly, from his original cell to a larger one only to be moved back again. However, shortly after, on 18 December 2004, he was taken to a cell in another block. While in this block al-Jabour was, among other things, taught to play chess, given a small computer game and allowed to play with a football. He was also given a prayer schedule. The times on the prayer schedule chime with those in Afghanistan.

The detainee estimates that while at this site he saw about 70 personnel, 25 of whom were guards and 45 of whom were civilian personnel. He claims that during his detention at this site it had three directors and 5 sub-directors. The site’s doctors, translators and interrogators all wore civilian clothing, whereas, its guards ‘wore black uniforms and gloves, and had black masks covering their eyes’.

Al-Jabour has stated that he saw one of two psychologists (one man of about 50 and one woman of about 55) every few months while at this site. Al-Jabour estimates that the second block held 25-30 prisoners and that about 12-15 detainees were held in the same area as him during his stay. He told Human Rights Watch that other detainees at the site included Hudaifa, Adnan, Abdul Basit, Abdul Yassir al-Jazeeri and Ayoub al-Libi.

On 20 July 2006, according to Jabour, he was told by the sub-director of the site that he would be leaving the site the following day. Given his recorded duration in CIA custody, it would actually have been at some point between 26 July 2006 and 4 August 2006. He was informed that he should be ready to leave at 6pm and that as the ’plane would have no toilet he would have to wear a diaper. Before being transferred al-Jabour had cotton put over his eyes, and in his ears, and rubber over that. Then they put a band around his head, a mask over his face, and head phones over his ears. His hands were cuffed in front and his legs were shackled. A belt was put around his legs, above the knees, and his handcuffs were attached to it. “I felt like a mummy”,’ al-Jabour said.

Next, al-Jabour was taken out to a car and laid down flat. He believes another prisoner was next to him. Analysis by The Rendition Project and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has established that this was likely to have been Abd al-Bari al-Filistini. The car drove for an hour before al-Jabour heard three shots being fired. At this point he was taken aggressively out of the car and stripped. Next his body was videotaped prior to being prepared for transit, as he had been earlier. Al-Jabour was placed in a ’plane which he assumes was a civilian ’plane as it had seats facing forward. Once the ’plane was airborne it flew for about three and a half to four hours. Al-Jabour had his blood pressure taken by a doctor.

On 14 August 2006 al-Jabour was visited by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Two weeks later he was visited by family members.

On 18 September 2006 Jabour was driven to King Hussein Bridge (on the border between Jordan and the Israeli occupied West Bank) and transferred to Israeli custody.

While held in Israel, al-Jabour was given access to a lawyer and brought before a judge. He was released into Gaza after six weeks in Israeli custody.

Further Reading

This analysis of the rendition of Marwan Ibrahim Ali al-Jabour is based upon his first-hand account of his treatment to Human Rights Watch.

Human Rights Watch (2007) Ghost Prisoner: Two Years in Secret CIA Custody