I was a British student in madinah university into the fourth and final year of my studies. Everything seemed to be just fine until suddenly I was Kidnapped in late 2006 from my campus by a gang of civilian dressed armed people who I later on got to know as the notorious mabahith Saudi intelligence. 

 

I was then taken to the Saudi intelligence headquarters in madinah al munawwarah where I was imprisoned in a small dungeon like cell which was horrible and prone to all sorts of insects. Little did I know that I'd spend the next quarter of my life in captivity, had I known I would have been happy to risk my life, either escaping from the kidnappers or being shot dead on campus.

 

this is where the disaster started. Regular interrogations, sleep deprivation, mental and physical torture, and filthy verbal abuse. They forced me to thumb print  pre written confessions of aiding mujahideen in Iraq. 

 

Besides the old school methods of interrogation and torture which you've probably already heard of, the prison was no better. Cells were at times cramped, the doors and windows were boarded with black sheets of metal not allowing in any daylight and worst of all, the food was at times rotten and not edible. Officers and military dressed guards often barged into cells causing havoc, searching and at times beating people. If we were lucky we would get to see the sunshine for a few minutes every fortnight, otherwise months would go by without even seeing the sunshine. At times I had to hand wash my clothes using hand soap and wear them while they were still wet because I didn't have spare clothing.

 

It is hard to believe that this could go on in the city of madinah, not only that, it was so close to the haram that we could even hear the athan. Having said this, if it happened in the time of imam Malik, why would it stop now? 

 

Throughout my five and a half years of imprisonment I was moved to a number of different mabahith prisons including Jeddah Riyadh and abha. 

 

After two years I was taken to court with no legal representation. It was an illegal court that was another invention of the Saudi intelligence to oppress people in the name of justice and shariah. After mentioning to the judge the torture and forced confessions, he simply remarked "if you confessed  to all these crimes surely you must have done more that you did not confess to" he then added "weather or not you did these things, you will have to bear the punishment for confessing" I was then sentenced to seven years.

 

The UN work group on arbitrary detention adopted an opinion on my case following a submission made by a human rights organisation, clearly urging the saudi government to release me from what it classified as arbitrary detention. But the saudi government had no reason to care.

 

I assumed the British government would do something to help me but instead, I was asked certain questions during interrogation that could not have come from anywhere besides the UK.

 

Within the small cells we had close links with each other, cared for each other, shared clothes at times and would be extremely worried when a cell mate was taken for interrogation in case he did not return.

 

After being released in early 2012 I got in touch with other ex detainees who were also held in al madinah al munawwarah and tortured by their captors. The men coming from different parts of the world including Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia were eager to get in touch with Cageprisoners as they had information about an interrogation officer who tortured them including his picture. Cageprisoners campaigned the issue and held an event in the presence of an independent journalist and translator and everyone was given a chance to tell their story. An official complaint was submitted to the UN about Yusuf al Barakati, the ruthless torturer and each individuals testimonies were submitted.  A detailed report is available on Cageprisoners website in case you would like to know more.

 

Lastly, I'd like to thank Cageprisoners for giving me this opportunity to speak, also on behalf of the brothers mentioned earlier as I have had a word with them earlier and they all really appreciated Cageprisoners help. 

 

I'd just like everyone to know that the world is not a safe place any more. The governments are not what they say they are, justice and oppression have become two faces of the same coin and it is up to you to make a real change.

 

Jazakumullahu khairan was salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah