Hunger Strike and Forced Feeding
At its height more than 100 detainees participated in this hunger strike. The Department of Defense's position was that detainees did not have the right to refuse medical treatment and began force-feeding detainees. Detainees complained that the force-feeding were administered in a particularly brutal manner.
Approximately three dozen detainees remained participating in this hunger strike in January 2006, when the DoD instituted a new measure—the use of "restraint chairs". Detainees would be strapped immobile in the restraint chairs, during the force-feeding, and for a period of time afterwards. The DoD explained they took this measure so the detainees could not induce vomiting and void the force-fed formula before they began to really digest it. Detainees claimed that the force-feeding caused them extremely painful cramps, and that they would be held in restraint for hours, even if they soiled themselves. The DoD said their policy authorized restraining the detainees immobile for only 45 minutes following the end of the force-feeding.
All but four of the hunger strikers ended their hunger strike just a few days after the initiation of the use of the restraint chair in January 2006. The Washington Post reports that Ahmed continued his hunger strike from late 2005 to May 2006.
Ali Abdullah Ahmed and Yasser Talal Al Zahrani had previously been listed on the DoD's two official lists. The other Saudi, previously named as either "Maniy bin Shaman al-Otaibi" or "Mani bin Shaman bin Turki al Habradi", had not been previously listed on either official list.
Read more about this topic: Ali Abdullah Ahmed
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