WASHINGTON: Top terror suspect Abu Zubaydah told a US military tribunal he was tortured while in CIA custody, and now suffers seizures that affect his ability to speak and write, according to a transcript released.
In a lengthy hearing before the tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on March 27, Zubaydah denied associating with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, despite having told interrogators that he had.
"Mr President and members of the tribunal, I would have liked to have spoken to you today on my own, but I have been having seizures lately, which have temporarily affected my ability to speak and write without difficulty," he said in a written statement that was read by a military officer assigned to represent him.
Besides the seizures, Zubaydah told the tribunal he had problems with his left thigh and foot, according to a transcript released on Monday.
"I don't like to admit I'm a sick person," he said. "I try to be a good Muslim but the truth is almost half of my body is not good."
But in a question-and-answer session, the tribunal's presiding officer noted that Zubaydah "mentioned months of torture" in his written statement.
In a lengthy hearing before the tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on March 27, Zubaydah denied associating with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, despite having told interrogators that he had.
"Mr President and members of the tribunal, I would have liked to have spoken to you today on my own, but I have been having seizures lately, which have temporarily affected my ability to speak and write without difficulty," he said in a written statement that was read by a military officer assigned to represent him.
Besides the seizures, Zubaydah told the tribunal he had problems with his left thigh and foot, according to a transcript released on Monday.
"I don't like to admit I'm a sick person," he said. "I try to be a good Muslim but the truth is almost half of my body is not good."
But in a question-and-answer session, the tribunal's presiding officer noted that Zubaydah "mentioned months of torture" in his written statement.
