Title: FAMILIES OF DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO AND BAGRAM DESPERATE FOR NEWS

Date & location: Sheberghan, Kunduz, Muzar-i-Sharid 1- 10 April 2006
Natural with Dari, Pashto and English speech
Duration: 9'48''
Produced by: Jon Bjorgvinsson, Virginie Miranda
Source: ICRC – Access all
Preview (RealMedia stream 56Kbs - 128kbs):
Afghanistan-news-cut-200406

This report will be distributed free-to-air and rights free on Wednesday 26th 2006 on Eurovision World Feed satellites at 14.00 to 14.10 GMT and on Eurovision News at 11.45 GMT.

For full details of the World feed, go to the EBU website

It is also available through ENEX, the European News Exchange.

For broadcast tapes and information on footage: Virginie Miranda, ICRC, Geneva,

SHOWS - START AT FIRST FRAME

00:00 SHEEP ON ROAD, MAZAR-I-SHARIF. GUR-I-MAR: VILLAGE LIFE

SHIBERGHAN – VILLAGE OF TONKA – ABDUL WAHAB, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEE

00:15 HOUSES IN VILLAGE OF TONKA, 10 KM SOUTH OF SHEBERGHAN

00:31 GHAFUR HAMRAZ, TRACING FIELD OFFICER OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC) ARRIVING IN THE VILLAGE OF TONKA AND MEETING ABDUL WAHAB, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF A GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEE

ABDUL WAHAB RECEIVING A LETTER FROM HIS SISTER'S HUSBAND WHO IS BEING HELD IN GUANTANAMO.
THIS LETTER IS CALLED A RED CROSS MESSAGE (RCM), IT IS A LETTER FROM THE DETAINEE CONTAINING FAMILY NEWS. ICRC DELEGATES COLLECT THESE MESSAGES WHEN THEY VISIT DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO. THEY ARE CENSORED BY THE U.S. AUTHORITIES AND SENT THROUGH THE RED CROSS NETWORK. THE ICRC TRACING FIELD OFFICERS THEN DISTRIBUTE THEM BY HAND TO THE DETAINEES’ RELATIVES.

00:48 GHAFUR HAMRAZ GREETING MUNIBULLA, THE DETAINEE’S 6-YEAR-OLD SON

00:58 GHAFUR HAMRAZ GIVING MUNIBULLA A LETTER FROM HIS FATHER

01:02 ABDUL WAHAB READING THE RED CROSS MESSAGE TO HIS NEPHEW, MUNIBULLA

01:20 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) ABDUL WAHAB BROTHER-IN-LAW OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE SAYING:

"Of course, he’s deprived of his normal life, and he’s a long way from us and his family. The letters must make him very happy and I'm sure it's important for him to receive them." (24'')

01:44 TWO BROTHERS OF THE DETAINEE AND HIS UNCLE, MAHMMAD YASSIN, WRITING A REPLY TO THE THREE RED CROSS MESSAGES THEY RECEIVED THAT DAY; THE MESSAGES WERE ADDRESSED TO THE SON, UNCLE AND BROTHER-IN-LAW OF THE DETAINEE

01:53 VARIOUS OF THE FAMILY WRITING THEIR REPLIES, INCLUDING CLOSE-UPS

02:11 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) ABDUL WAHAB BROTHER-IN-LAW OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE SAYING:

"Through these letters, we try to keep his morale up and tell him not to worry because we are here for his children." (32'')

02:42 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) ABDUL WAHAB BROTHER-IN-LAW OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE SAYING:

"I hope that one day we’ll be self-sufficient and not always depend on help from other countries. We want to stand on our own feet and take care of our own country ourselves." (21'')

03:04 TONKA VILLAGE SCENES, ARMOURED VEHICLE AND RUINS

03:18 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) SIDRIKA 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER OF THE DETAINEE AND SISTER OF MUNIBULLA AND PALWASHA SAYING:

"I want him to come home so everything will be all right again, so that everything’s like it should be." (6'')

03:23 PALWASHA, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF THE DETAINEE

03:26 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) SIDRIKA 7-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER OF THE DETAINEE AND SISTER OF MUNIBULLA AND PALWASHA SAYING:

"I’m writing to tell him we’re all right and that I want him to come home" (3'')

03:29 COW

03:32 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) MAHMMAD YASSIN THE DETAINEE’S UNCLE, SITTING BETWEEN THE DETAINEE’S TWO BROTHERS:

"His return would be a great blessing for the family, for us all" (8'')

03:41 ABDUL WAHAB WRITING A REPLY TO THE RED CROSS MESSAGE SENT BY HIS BROTHER-IN-LAW IN GUANTANAMO

03:45 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) MAHMMAD YASSIN THE DETAINEE’S UNCLE SAYING:

"We need help to rebuild our houses, we need agricultural equipment and tractors. Our soil could make us independent, but we have no tools or seed.” (17'')

04:01 A BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION ON THE ROAD TOWARDS SHULGARAH (SOUTH-EAST SHEBERGHAN)

KUNDUZ – CHUGHA VILLAGE – RAHMAD TULLA, BROTHER OF A GUANTANAMO DETAINEE

04:17 A TANK IN A FIELD WITH AN ICRC LAND CRUISER PASSING BY ON THE ROAD IN THE BACKGROUND

04:24 CHUGHA VILLAGE, WIDE OF WOMEN IN BURKAS WALKING THROUGH FIELDS

04:34 RAHMAD TULLA PLOUGHING HIS FIELD WITH OXEN

04:44 ICRC TRACING FIELD OFFICER GHAFUR HAMRAZ GREETING RAHMAD TULLA. HE HAS COME TO DELIVER A RED CROSS MESSAGE TO RAHMAD’S BROTHER’S FAMILY. HIS BROTHER HAS BEEN IN GUANTANAMO FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS. GHAFUR HAMRAZ AND RAHMAD TULLA ENTERING THE DETAINEE'S COURTYARD

04:54 THE DETAINEE'S FAMILY FOLLOWING GHAFUR HAMRAZ AND RAHMAD TULLA INTO THE LIVING ROOM

05:15 SOUNDBITE (English) GHAFUR HAMRAZ ICRC TRACING FIELD OFFICER SAYING:

"When they write Red Cross messages the ICRC delegate collects the RCM, the Red Cross Message and hand over and give it to the prison authorities. The prison authorities they can be sure that there is nothing wrong written in the RCM for example political issue or security or any other no secret things.” (23'')

05:38 CLOSE-UPS OF THE DETAINEE’S TWO WIVES AND ELEVEN CHILDREN

05:48 SOUNDBITE (English) GHAFUR HAMRAZ ICRC TRACING FIELD OFFICER SAYING:

"They are living in a remote area, in a village where they have no access to go to school. You see these children, they are all sitting here, they don't go to school because they have no access. They request me to read the Red Cross Message which I do with pleasure. It's very good for me because I'm always in touch with them so I bring good news to the family as well as the detainee." (29'')

06:18 GHAFUR HAMRAZ READING THE RED CROSS MESSAGE TO THE DETAINEE’S FAMILY
VARIOUS OF THE DETAINEE'S WIVES AND CHILDREN LISTENING

06:35 SOUNDBITE (Dari) RAHMAD TULLA BROTHER OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE:

"I don't know whether my brother is guilty or not. He was accused without there being any proof or any documents. He has been detained for about three years and we don't know why. We are hoping that the authorities or the organizations involved will look after him." (11'')

06:45 CLOSE-UP OF THE RED CROSS MESSAGE

06:47 SOUNDBITE (Dari) RAHMAD TULLA BROTHER OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE:

"When my brother was detained by the coalition forces, the family had no news from him or about where he was being kept. After three months I heard that he had been detained, thanks to a Red Cross Message he sent me." (15'')

07:02 CLOSE-UP OF THE DETAINEE’S FIRST WIFE

07:05 SOUNDBITE (Dari) RAHMAD TULLA BROTHER OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE:

"The situation of the family is getting worse, because we don't have anyone to support us and find food, and I'm also responsible for my family. Najimullah is the breadwinner now, in place of his father. The eldest son is having to feed the family." (14'')


07:19 DONKEYS ON THE PROPERTY OF THE DETAINEE, RAHMAD TULLA'S BROTHER

07:23 CLOSE-UP OF THE DETAINEE’S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER. SHE WAS 35 DAYS OLD WHEN HER FATHER WAS ARRESTED. WATCHING HER SISTERS MAKING A FIRE TO COOK ON

07:26 THE DETAINEE'S DAUGHTERS PREPARING A FIRE FOR COOKING

07:35 SOUNDBITE (Pashto) MAH-BIBI THE DETAINEE’S OLDER WIFE, WITH THE YOUNGER WIFE IN THE BACKGROUND:

"I have only one son and he is very young. He cannot feed all the children by himself. I lost one of my daughters because she was sick. She died because I had no money to buy medicine." (15'')


KABUL CITY – FARID MOHAMMED. BROTHER OF BAGRAM DETAINEE

07:50 KABUL CITY. OLD TANK, VILLAS, CHILDREN PLAYING

08:12 FARID MOHAMMED, BROTHER OF A BAGRAM DETAINEE, CROSSING THE STREET AND ENTERING THE ICRC TRACING OFFICE IN KABUL

08:16 GHAFUR FORMULY, ICRC TRACING FIELD OFFICER, WELCOMING FARID MOHAMMED AND HANDING HIM A RED CROSS MESSAGE FROM HIS BROTHER

08:21 CLOSE-UP OF THE RED CROSS MESSAGE

08:37 SOUNDBITE (DARI) FARID MOHAMMED, BROTHER OF BAGRAM DETAINEE SITTING IN HIS BROTHER 'S LIVING ROOM WITH HIS NEPHEWS (BAGRAM DETAINEE'S CHILDREN)
"If the father is not here, in these conditions can I continue my live or their lives? Shall I help myself or them?" (4'')

08:40 CLOSE-UP ON ELDEST DAUGHTER OF BAGRAM DETAINEE

08:42 SOUNDBITE (DARI) FARID MOHAMMED, BROTHER OF BAGRAM DETAINEE
"My income is very little so how can I provide to the family what they need?" (5'')

08:47 VARIOUS SHOTS ON FARID MOHAMMED WRITING A REPLY TO HIS BROTHER IN ICRC TRACING OFFICE IN KABUL

09:02 SOUNDBITE (DARI) FARID MOHAMMED, BROTHER OF BAGRAM DETAINEE
"I'm asking everybody, Mr Karzai and Mr Bush, we would like to visit our detainee and talk with him. If somebody is detained how come the family cannot visit the detainee?"(12'')

09:14 KABUL STREETS, WOMEN IN WHEELCHAIR BEGGING

09:24 KABUL RUINS WAR-RAVAGED CINEMA AND HOUSES WITH WORKERS AND CHILDREN PICKING UP STONES

09:48 ENDS





STORY

FAMILIES OF DETAINEES IN GUANTANAMO AND BAGRAM DESPERATE FOR NEWS

Families in Afghanistan are desperate for news of relatives detained by the U.S. authorities in Guantanamo and Bagram prisons.

Many detainees are held in Bagram before being sent to Guantanamo. Initially this was for limited periods. However, since mid-2003 many have been detained there for longer periods, in some cases for more than two years.

Meanwhile, their families remain in an agony of uncertainty, not knowing for how long their relatives will be detained and unable to see or talk to them. The pressure on families waiting for clarification on the fate of their relatives grows daily. Many have been separated for up to four years. The ICRC believes that uncertainty about the prisoners' fate has added to the mental and emotional strain experienced by many detainees and their families.

The ICRC is concerned that in both places of detention, detainees have not been charged and tried, released, or placed within a legal framework that governs their continued detention.

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP FOR THE FAMILIES OF ABDUL WAHAB AND RAHMAD TULLA

In addition to the emotional strain, many families are suffering economic hardship, as the detainee may also be the main family breadwinner.

Abdul Wahab lives in the village of Tonka, 10 km south of Sheberghan, Afghanistan. He lives on a large farm, with eight other families from his clan.

One major problem: his brother is in Guantanamo. So the new undertaking has to go ahead without him. That means that one pair of hands is missing. His uncle, Mahmmmad Yassin, says, “His return would be a great blessing for the family, for us all.” His absence is depriving his wife and three children of a father, a husband and a breadwinner. So his brother-in-law Abdul Wahab, a teacher at the village Koranic school, helps his daughters Sidrika and Palwasha (aged 7 and 4) and his four-year-old son Munibulla (6).

The only news the family have had of their brother is through the Red Cross message system, enabling detainees and their families to exchange personal letters. Even Sidrika has written to her father: "I’ve written to tell him we’re all right and that I want him to come home."

Abdul Wahab talks about the stress the absence of his brother-in-law causes the family, and the problem of not knowingfor how long he will be detained. He is sure that his brother-in-law is innocent, and says he was ‘set up’ on account of a land dispute. As far as he is concerned, the family thinks he was arrested because he belongs to the minority Pashto community. The Pashto landowners had spent the last 23 years in Pakistan. This year they returned to their 500 hectares of land, and this summer they will be harvesting their own crops for the first time. Via Red Cross messages, Abdul tries to reassure his brother-in-law that he is supporting his children economically and making sure they get a good education. To him, these messages are vital. Already, nearly 40 messages have passed between Pakistan and Guantanamo, and the two have continued their correspondence since Abdul returned to Afghanistan. As he says, "Of course, he’s deprived of his normal life, and he’s a long way from us and his family. The letters must make him very happy and I'm sure it's important for him to receive them."

According to his family, Rahmad Tulla's brother was once a farmer and fought against the Soviet troops. He was detained by the Taliban just eight months before they fell from power. His family reports the U.S. authorities arrested him in Kunduz in October 2002 and held him in Bagram before transferring him to Guantanamo in February 2003. Rahmad explains: "When my brother was detained by the coalition forces, the family had no news from him or about where he was being kept. After three months I heard that he had been detained, thanks to a Red Cross Message he sent me."

When the detainee is the breadwinner, it is up to his relatives to support the family. Rahmad Tulla reports that "The situation of the family is getting worse, because we don't have anyone to support us and find food, and I'm also responsible for my family. Najimullah is the breadwinner now, in place of his father. The eldest son is having to feed the family."

The detainee's first wife, Mah-Bibi, has is responsible ten daughters and a son to look after. "I have only one son and he is very young. He cannot feed all the children by himself. I lost one of my daughters because she was sick. She died because I had no money to buy medicine."

FAMILY NEWS THROUGH RED CROSS MESSAGES

Although the Wahab family cannot read or write, they have been able to send five Red Cross messages (RCM), and they received a reply to each of them thanks to the help of ICRC and Afghan Red Crescent Society Field Officers. Today, ICRC Field Officer Gharfur Hamraz came to deliver a new message. He explains how the Red Cross message system functions.

"When they write Red Cross messages, the ICRC delegate collects the RCM, the Red Cross Message, and hands it over to the prison authorities. The prison authorities can be sure that there is nothing wrong written in the RCM, for example political issues or security issues or any other secret things.” (23'')

In fact, these messages allow detainees to reassure their families that they are still alive and well, but give little details of their daily existence. This is standard procedure for Red Cross Messages in every detention place visited by the ICRC worldwide. It's important that the letters are limited to strictly personal, family related content, and they cannot be used to pass on political messages, or messages related to conflict situations.

Rahmad Tulla, brother of a Guantanamo detainee, says, "I don't know whether my brother is guilty or not. He was accused without there being any proof or any documents. He has been detained for about three years and we don't know why. We are hoping that the authorities or the organizations involved will look after him."

GUANTANAMO - BAGRAM: SAME UNCERTAINTY

Detainees in Bagram prison are also able to exchange personal letters with their families through the Red Cross message system. ICRC delegates have had regular access to the people held at Bagram, although not immediately after their arrest. These visits enable delegates to monitor prisoners’ conditions of detention as well as collecting and distributing Red Cross messages.

It is a service that Farid Mohammed knows very well, as he has exchanged more than 30 letters since his brother was arrested and taken to Bagram two years ago. Today he has come to the ICRC office in Kabul to pick up a newly-arrived message from his brother.
The property dealer and father of eight children considers himself a businessman, but he still finds it hard to manage his business, feed his own family and support his brother's wife and six children.

"If the father is not here, in these conditions can I continue my live or their lives? Shall I help myself or them? My income is very little so how can I provide to the family what they need?"

He feels it should be possible for him to visit his brother as Bagram is only two hours drives away from Kabul: "We would like to visit our detainee and talk with him. If somebody is detained how come the family cannot visit the detainee?"

In the meantime, Farid Mohammed will have to rely solely on the Red Cross message system.

In 2005, the ICRC collected 2,665 Red Cross messages from Afghan families for their relatives in Guantanamo or Bagram. The organization collected 2,086 Red Cross messages from Bagram detainees and delivered 1,852 Red Cross messages to them. The ICRC and the Afghan Red Crescent Society also offer this service to Afghan families with relatives in Afghan government detention facilities.

The ICRC has been visiting detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since January 2002. There are currently around 500 detainees from roughly 40 countries. As of early December 2005, the ICRC had facilitated the exchange of about 20,800 Red Cross messages between the detainees and their families in more than 30 countries.


Contacts
Vincent Lusser, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 24 26 or ++41 79 217 32 64
Regarding this footage: Virginie Miranda, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++41 22 730 25 11 or ++41 79 251 93 14