.I was tortured, says Australian held in Iraq
A SYDNEY man, Ahmed Jamal, imprisoned in northern Iraq for 18 months without charge has told Australian officials he was tortured.
Mr Jamal was finally visited by Australia's consul-general in Iraq, Alan Elliott, on February 27 and found in a distressed state. He said he had been badly mistreated by his captors after his arrest.
His condition was relayed to his father, Mahmoud, and his lawyer, Stephen Kenny, by a consular official based in Canberra, Alex Fraser.
"He has been abused and tortured. Mr Alex told me that he said he has been tortured," Mahmoud Jamal said yesterday. "They told me that he has a lot of rashes on his body and that he has lost his memory … His loss of memory is from torture and electricity."
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that his son said he was tortured but could not comment on the allegation of electrocution.
A spokesman said Mr Jamal asked Australian authorities not to raise his mistreatment with Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq because he feared reprisals.
But he said the Federal Government was pursuing the case, saying it was of "serious concern".
The spokesman also defended the department's inability to visit Mr Jamal for so long, which has enraged his family and Mr Kenny.
The Government found out in November 2004 - after it was informed by the Red Cross - that Mr Jamal, an Australian citizen who was then aged 22, had been detained in northern Iraq for "security-related issues".
He was first detained in September 2004, not long after leaving Australia and telling his family he was visiting the Middle East to find a bride and see the region.
The spokeswoman said "extensive representations" had been made to secure access to Mr Jamal and that logistical issues and a dangerous environment had prevented it from visiting earlier.
But Mr Kenny said this explanation was unacceptable, noting that over the same period scores of dignitaries, including the Prime Minister, had visited Iraq, not to mention executives from AWB.
"The Australian Government has a responsibility to protect Mr Jamal and the length of time they have taken to contact him is of great concern," Mr Kenny said.
"They should have got there much earlier. They failed to protect Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks. Here was a third chance for them to do the right thing."
Mahmoud Jamal said he had been warned that his son may be charged soon for waging jihad.
"This type of young generation, they don't know what they are doing," he said. "He said he would find a beautiful girl but he was tortured and abused."
The Jamal family is no stranger to seeing its members detained on terrorism charges. Ahmed Jamal's older brother, Saleh, is in jail in Lebanon on weapons charges and is accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Lebanon and in Australia.
He escaped from Australia on a false passport while on bail for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting at the Lakemba police station.
Mohammed Omar Jamal, another brother, was arrested in Sydney in December and charged with conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist act.
The last of the alleged Sydney terrorist cell to be arrested, he allegedly brought large quantities of chemicals which could be used to make a bomb.
A Jamal family member who asked not to be identified further said: "They are treating them like dirt. We are waiting for them to take the other boys as well."
SMH.com
Mr Jamal was finally visited by Australia's consul-general in Iraq, Alan Elliott, on February 27 and found in a distressed state. He said he had been badly mistreated by his captors after his arrest.
His condition was relayed to his father, Mahmoud, and his lawyer, Stephen Kenny, by a consular official based in Canberra, Alex Fraser.
"He has been abused and tortured. Mr Alex told me that he said he has been tortured," Mahmoud Jamal said yesterday. "They told me that he has a lot of rashes on his body and that he has lost his memory … His loss of memory is from torture and electricity."
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that his son said he was tortured but could not comment on the allegation of electrocution.
A spokesman said Mr Jamal asked Australian authorities not to raise his mistreatment with Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq because he feared reprisals.
But he said the Federal Government was pursuing the case, saying it was of "serious concern".
The spokesman also defended the department's inability to visit Mr Jamal for so long, which has enraged his family and Mr Kenny.
The Government found out in November 2004 - after it was informed by the Red Cross - that Mr Jamal, an Australian citizen who was then aged 22, had been detained in northern Iraq for "security-related issues".
He was first detained in September 2004, not long after leaving Australia and telling his family he was visiting the Middle East to find a bride and see the region.
The spokeswoman said "extensive representations" had been made to secure access to Mr Jamal and that logistical issues and a dangerous environment had prevented it from visiting earlier.
But Mr Kenny said this explanation was unacceptable, noting that over the same period scores of dignitaries, including the Prime Minister, had visited Iraq, not to mention executives from AWB.
"The Australian Government has a responsibility to protect Mr Jamal and the length of time they have taken to contact him is of great concern," Mr Kenny said.
"They should have got there much earlier. They failed to protect Mamdouh Habib and David Hicks. Here was a third chance for them to do the right thing."
Mahmoud Jamal said he had been warned that his son may be charged soon for waging jihad.
"This type of young generation, they don't know what they are doing," he said. "He said he would find a beautiful girl but he was tortured and abused."
The Jamal family is no stranger to seeing its members detained on terrorism charges. Ahmed Jamal's older brother, Saleh, is in jail in Lebanon on weapons charges and is accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Lebanon and in Australia.
He escaped from Australia on a false passport while on bail for his alleged role in a drive-by shooting at the Lakemba police station.
Mohammed Omar Jamal, another brother, was arrested in Sydney in December and charged with conspiring to manufacture explosives in preparation for a terrorist act.
The last of the alleged Sydney terrorist cell to be arrested, he allegedly brought large quantities of chemicals which could be used to make a bomb.
A Jamal family member who asked not to be identified further said: "They are treating them like dirt. We are waiting for them to take the other boys as well."
SMH.com
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