CPTnet
February 10, 2004
IRAQ: U.S. military detains lawyer who called attention to human rights abuses

By Cliff Kindy

Sami Al Azawi came to the CPT house on Tuesday, January 13 to report that U.S. troops had detained an attorney who had participated in a meeting with Colonel Nate Sassaman the day before.

CPT had been with Al Azawi and two other attorneys, including "Mohammad" on January 12 for the visit to the military base near Balad to speak with Sassaman. The visit was an attempt to open a channel of communication between the Organization of Human Rights (OHR), to which the lawyers belonged, and the military base.  The US military has detained many local Iraqis in house raids. The lawyers hope this connection would help families and legal representatives maintain contact with detained family members.

During the meeting, the human rights lawyers asked about a November event that involved Sassaman's unit.  The military translator did not translate the details of the incident, so CPTers were not aware of the story until the January 13 visit.  At the CPT house, Sami explained that US soldiers had fired on a car with six Iraqis.  It started burning and one of the passengers ran from the car. Soldiers allegedly chased him and threw him back into the car.  All six died in the attack and ensuing fire.

At the point in the meeting when the lawyers spoke about the burning car incident, Sassaman began calling  the lawyers frauds and  told the CPTers the lawyers were using them.  He also told the CPTers that he had never seen the lawyers before (implying that they were outside agitators.) The lawyers ended the meeting feeling pleased with the connections made, but were unwilling to trust the translator or feel comfortable about Sassaman's intentions.

At 4:00 am the next morning, Sassaman's unit carried out house raids in the village where Mohammad lived.  Mohammad and his five brothers were detained along with about fifteen others.

Al Azawi and Mohammad's father went to see Sassaman at 8:30am, four hours after the raid.  He refused to receive the medication for an epileptic son or warm clothes for the others, but did say that the detainees would likely be released in two or three days.  Sassaman also expressed his desire for a large CPT presence at a meeting with the OHR lawyers.

On January 17, CPT returned to Balad to facilitate the meeting between the lawyers and the military.  CPTers learned that Mohammad and his brothers had been released at 9pm on the day of their detention.  The story of what happened during their detention is one the team has been asked not to tell because of the threat of retribution against the individuals involved and their families.

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Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren, and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. Supporting violence-reduction efforts around the world is its mandate.
Contact CPT, POB 6508 Chicago, IL 60680; Telephone: 773-277-0253 Fax:
773-277-0291; e-mail: guest.903627 (at) MennoLink.org.

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