Bahraini detainee in Guantanamo is in wheelchair

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MANAMA — A noted US human rights lawyer fighting cases for release of Bahrainis in Guantanamo Bay has expressed deep concern over the health condition of one of the Bahraini detainees at the US prison.

According to lawyer and human rights activist, Joshua Colangelo-Bryan, whose New York-based firm Dorsey and Whitney is representing Bahraini detainees for the past two and half years on behalf of the now-defunct Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), said in his letter that Bahraini detainee Juma Al Dossari, who had reportedly tried to commit suicide earlier this year, is confined to a wheelchai and is "terribly dehydrated" and had bruises on his body. snip

"We met Juma Al Dossari at the Naval Hospital because we were told by military authorities that he was not well enough to be brought to Camp Echo where client interviews normally occur. Juma was brought to the Naval Hospital in a wheelchair and we did not see him stand at all during our visit. Juma was wearing a neck brace while we met him.

"For part of our visit, he appeared to be suffering from some sort of paralysis to his face that made it difficult for him to articulate his words clearly. Juma was also terribly dehydrated. In fact, we watched a corpsman and a nurse try six times to insert a needle through which fluids would be given to Juma intravenously. These attempts were not successful because Juma's skin was so 'rubbery' as it was described to us. Juma also had bruises below his eye and on his wrists and ankles.