VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0992/01 2481548
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 041548Z SEP 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5568
INFO RUEAWJA/DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

S E C R E T TUNIS 000992 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA: GCRETZ, NEA/MAG:(SWILLIAMS, MNARDI, 
VSTEWART), DRL: KMCGEENEY, S/WCI: ARICCI 
DOD/OSD:ALIOTTA, DOJ/ODAG:MSTRANSKY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2028 
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM KDRG TS
SUBJECT: TUNIS: BEN OMAR'S FAMILY REPORTS PSYCHOLOGICAL 
PRESSURE 
 
REF: A. STATE 91304 AND PREVIOUS 
     ¶B. TUNIS 973 
     ¶C. TUNIS 193 
     ¶D. TUNIS 042 
     ¶E. 07 TUNIS 1483 
     ¶F. 07 TUNIS 1060 
     ¶G. 07 TUNIS 967 
     ¶H. 07 TUNIS 964 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (S) Summary:  Family members of transferred Guantanamo 
detainee Abdallah Ben Omar report he is physically fine, but 
weak.  He faces threats, however, about his family from 
Ministry of Interior officials who have shown him doctored 
photos in which security personnel appear to be beating his 
son.  Ben Omar is being held in an underground cell, and is 
permitted limited walking exercise.  His family has regular 
access to him, and provides some food.  The family's account 
generally confirms the statements made by Ben Omar's lawyer 
to Embassy officers regarding his condition, including his 
treatment during his initial two day detention by MOI 
officials (Ref H).  Embassy officers will meet with the 
family of Lotfi Ben Swei Lagha on Monday September 8.  End 
Summary 
 
 
¶2.  (C) Khadija Bousaidi the wife and son of Abdallah Ben 
Omar (El-Hajji) discussed his treatment in the Mornaguia 
prison in a meeting with Pol/Econ Couns and PolOff September 
4 in the presence of their lawyer Samir Ben Amour. 
 
----------------- 
Prison Conditions 
----------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  Ben Omar's wife said she was able to visit her 
husband once a week with no difficulty and was able to send 
him food three times a week.  His children are able to visit 
him occasionally.  His wife said his health is all right.  He 
is fine but weak, not eating well, and under some 
psychological pressure.  He worries about his family because 
he is told by people, allegedly from the Ministry of 
Interior, that they are living with his family and beating 
his children and they threaten to hit his son with a car. 
They have shown him doctored pictures of his son being beaten 
and of people from the Ministry having dinner with the 
family.  His wife said they have told him the pictures are 
fake but he does not believe them.  His family confirmed that 
he had not been physically mistreated after the first two 
days when he was in MOI custody (Ref H). 
 
¶4. (C) Ben Omar is kept in an underground cell with some 
interior light but very little natural light, because there 
is only one small window in the ceiling.  He is allowed to 
pray but does not know what time to pray or in which 
direction to pray.  He is allowed out of his cell 
occasionally to go to another room for limited walking 
exercise.  His son said two different times the Ministry of 
Justice prison guards are fine, the problems occur when 
people come from the Ministry of Interior.  The family itself 
is not being bothered.  They are not given any problems when 
they come to visit Ben Omar and they have not had been 
harassed by the police or others in their personal lives. 
 
¶5. (C)  His family reconfirmed that Ben Omar had been held in 
solitary confinement for a time and was then held with 
several other common criminals who harassed and threatened 
him, even cutting his clothes at one point.  He then asked to 
be placed in a cell by himself.  He is now kept by himself 
during the day but another prisoner sleeps in the same cell 
at night.  (Note: Solitary confinement for more than 10 days 
is against the law in Tunisia.  As a disciplinary measure, a 
prisoner can be held in solitary for up to 10 days after a 
hearing before a special council.  He said a prisoner is not 
supposed to be held for successive 10 day periods.) 
 
--------------- 
Prison Sentence 
--------------- 
 
¶6. (C)  Ben Omar's family was confused about how long Ben 
Omar would stay in prison.  They said they first heard that 
he was sentenced to seven years but were subsequently told 
his sentence was only five years and that he might get out 
after two years.  His lawyer was surprised that they thought 
his sentence was only five years and confirmed that his 
 
sentence was for seven years.  There is a possibility that 
his sentence could be reduced for good behavior but only 
after he had served at least half the sentence.  He said they 
were going to petition for a Presidential pardon, which could 
be granted at any time. 
 
---------------------------- 
Third Party and Legal Visits 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C)  The family said that the ICRC had visited Ben Omar 
once that they knew of.  We asked if his lawyer had visited 
him and they said no.  They said he was told by the guards 
that, "You are with us now and cannot see anyone else."  We 
asked if he had specifically asked to see his lawyer and they 
said "no, why would he do that."  His lawyer also confirmed 
that he had not requested to see him. 
 
-------------- 
US Involvement 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (S)  The family asked why Ben Omar had been returned to 
Tunisia.  Before his transfer they had understood that his US 
lawyer Zachary Katznelson had informed the US authorities 
that Ben Omar did not want to be brought back to Tunisia. 
They were concerned about the prison conditions in Tunisia. 
They said they did not speak to Ben Omar directly while he 
was in USG custody.  When he arrived in Tunisia he was 
imprisoned immediately.  Once the family could speak with him 
directly, he told them that US authorities had told him he 
would be released when he arrived in Tunis. 
 
¶9. (S)  Ben Omar's wife asked Pol/Econ Couns if the USG could 
press the GOT to improve Ben Omar's treatment.  We replied 
that it was important for us to hear from the family about 
his treatment without specifying anything further. 
 
 
GODEC