The story of Abu Zubaydah, a detainee held in U.S. custody for over two decades without charge, has resurfaced with disturbing revelations about the torture he endured and the artistic expression he used to document his suffering. Captured in Pakistan in March 2002 and subsequently renditioned to the CIA, Zubaydah became the first person subjected to the CIA's post-9/11 torture program. Despite initial claims by the U.S. that he was a top al-Qaida operative, it was later conceded that he was not even a member of the terror group. His ordeal began at CIA dark sites in Poland, Lithuania, and elsewhere before being transferred to Guantánamo Bay in 2006, where he remains to this day.
Zubaydah's experiences under CIA custody reveal a grim picture of the U.S.'s post-9/11 interrogation tactics. Between 2002 and 2006, he was subjected to numerous torture techniques, including being waterboarded 83 times. This form of simulated drowning was just one aspect of the brutal treatment he faced. He was also exposed to physical threats, sexual humiliation, and psychological terror. One particularly harrowing experience involved being chained nude in front of a female interrogator and threatened with anal rape by masked agents. To compound his suffering, Zubaydah was confined in a coffin-sized box filled with water up to his nose, instilling prolonged psychological terror.
The use of a technique known as "the Vortex" by CIA and FBI agents further exemplifies the severity of his treatment. This method involved applying multiple torture techniques in quick succession, leaving Zubaydah in a state of exhaustion and distress. His experiences have been documented in a series of 40 drawings created from his Guantánamo cell, which depict gruesome acts of violence, sexual and religious humiliation, and psychological terror.
"Abu Zubaydah is the poster child for America’s torture program," – Mark Denbeaux
These drawings serve as a visual account of his torture and resonate with the judgment of the UN working group on arbitrary detention, as noted by his international legal representative, Helen Duffy. The images have brought renewed attention to his plight and highlighted the long-standing issues surrounding his detention.
"Sexual assault was never approved, nudity was never approved, humiliation by having women present was never approved, and nor was subjecting someone to prolonged torture to the point of exhaustion or worse," – Mark Denbeaux
Legal experts and human rights advocates have criticized the methods used against Zubaydah as not only morally questionable but also unauthorized by official guidelines. Despite this, the practices persisted, leaving lasting scars on those subjected to them.
"The only thing that’s ever kept him incarcerated has been silence and darkness, and now sunlight is shining on this forever prisoner," – Mark Denbeaux
The revelation that Zubaydah was tortured despite not being an al-Qaida operative has sparked further outrage.
"Everybody agrees, they tortured the wrong guy; they went ahead anyway so they could get permission to torture other people," – Mark Denbeaux
This sentiment underscores a grave miscarriage of justice that has kept Zubaydah in indefinite detention without trial or charge. His ongoing incarceration serves as a stark reminder of the broader implications of the U.S.'s enhanced interrogation techniques.
Zubaydah's own words capture the perpetual cycle of fear and confusion induced by his ordeal:
"!! Did they drill his stomach or his foot or his rear end?!! Using the power drill?!! All these questions kept going through my mind for days and months until another day when they come back and use the same method: threat with power drill. The same sounds of horror come back, and craziness sounds come back to my head with new questions: is he the same brother?!! Didn’t he die? Didn’t they kill him? Or this is another brother different than the first one? Who is the second one? And who will be the third one? Will it be me?" – Abu Zubaydah