Tortured Evidence Out in Child Soldier Case

Today we learned that evidence gained through the torture of Mohammed Jawad would not be used against him in his federal court case challenging his unlawful detention. Jawad was a young boy when captured in Afghanistan in 2002. Evidence gained through torture following Jawad’s arrest was previously thrown out by the judge in Jawad’s military commission hearing. In his habeas case, the government had sought to rely on this same evidence, as well as statements obtained through torture and other coercion at Guantanamo and Bagram.

Evidence gleaned during his military commission proceedings confirm Jawad was subjected to repeated torture and other mistreatment and to a systematic program of harsh and highly coercive interrogations designed to break him physically and mentally. In December 2003, Jawad tried to commit suicide in his cell by slamming his head repeatedly against the wall.

Andy Worthington profiled Jawad’s case last month, offering many details about the torture he endured.

Now that the coerced evidence has been thrown out and there is no credible evidence against him, we’re asking the government to drop the charges against Jawad.

Jawad has been at Gitmo for nearly seven years. It’s time to send him home.