Delivered Into Enemy Hands - Human Rights Watch

The Interrogators
Shoroeiya said the interrogators, all of whom he believed were American, came to him in
three waves. 165 The first group would do a sort of soft interrogation, just asking questions.
They were wearing what Shoroeiya described as “special forces” black uniforms with black
caps on but no masks. Then the second group would come in. They were also wearing the
same type of black uniforms with caps on, but unlike the first group, had what appeared to
be some sort of bodyguards with them. “They were tougher,” he said. They had “some sort
of specialists in this group who were very rough with us and who did the beatings,” he said.
“The third group was the toughest.” They also wore the same black uniforms, but their
faces were masked. They were the ones that used what he called “torture instruments:”
the waterboard, the small box, and a tall, thin box. Sharif said the interrogators were
assisted by interpreters who, based on their accents, he believed to be from different Arab
countries, possibly including Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, and Syria. 166 Sharif also mentioned
that at times he had been interrogated by women while he was naked. It was not clear if
this occurred in one or both of the places in Afghanistan where he was detained. 167
Waterboarding
Shoroeiya said the board was made of wood and could turn around 360 degrees (see
above). 168 Sometimes they would strap him onto the board and spin him around while
wearing a hood that covered his nose and mouth. This would completely disorient him.
While he was strapped to the board with his head lower than his feet, they would pour
buckets of extremely cold water over his nose and mouth to the point that he felt he was
going to suffocate. After the hood was put over his face, he said, “then there is the water
pouring…. They start to pour water to the point where you feel like you are suffocating.” 169
When asked how many times this was done to him, he said “a lot …a lot … it happened
many times …. They pour buckets of water all over you.” 170
165 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with Shoroeiya, May 7, 2012.
166 Human Rights Watch telephone interview with Sharif, May 24, 2012.
167 Human Rights Watch interview with Sharif, March 14, 2012.
168 During Human Rights Watch’s interview with Shoroeiya while he was in Abu Salim in 2009, he also told Human Rights
Watch researchers about this board and drew a picture of it in a researcher’s notes.
169 Human Rights Watch interview with Shoroeiya, March 18, 2012
170 Ibid.
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