Delivered Into Enemy Hands - Human Rights Watch

“When I realized I was
being sent back to Libya,
I thought they would
hang me by my tongue.
There was a guy from the
east that died that way
and I was sure, because
of what I had been writing
and saying about the
regime, I would die that
Di’iki said that despite the circumstances, it was possible
to find some humanity. He could tell that the interpreter
used by a doctor did not agree with the way he and the
other prisoners were being treated and once got into an
argument with the doctor over it in front of Di’iki. “This
young man, every chance he got, he would try and throw a
smile or a joke my way,” Di’iki said, “trying to cheer me
up, show me some kindness.” He still appreciates this
small show of support from the interpreter.
Transfer and Treatment in Libya
Di’iki said one day, which he later learned was August 22,
2004, his captors told him he would be transferred the
following day, but did not say where. He thought he
would be taken to Guantanamo. They took off his metal handcuffs and put on plastic ones.
Prior to that, however, they put him through the same CIA rendition transportation procedures233
way too.”
as they had on previous occasions, except this time, the man he believed was a
doctor took photos of him while he was naked. Then they put him in a shipping container.
For a moment his blindfold was taken off and he saw Shoroeiya on the floor of the container.
On the plane back to Libya he could tell that he was sitting next to someone but did not
know whom. It was not until he heard the driver say “back up” using the Libyan word
derived from Italian, indetro, that he realized he was in Libya. He told Human Rights Watch,
“When I realized I was being sent back to Libya, I thought they would hang
me by my tongue. There was a guy from the east that died that way and I
was sure, because of what I had been writing and saying about the regime, I
would die that way too.”
Upon arrival his blindfold was removed and he was put in a car with Maghrebi in which he
was driven to Tajoura prison.
233 See text box, “CIA Rendition Transportation Procedures,” above.
75 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SEPTEMBER 2012