Detainees at Guantánamo Bay have clashed at least 16 times, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. In one incident, a man claims he was beaten by fellow prisoners because he practices a different form of Islam than the majority at the camp. None of the incidents resulted in life-threatening injuries. In one incident, two detainees fought after one accused the other of lying to military interrogators about him. In another, detainees threw water and faeces at each other after one sang during the evening Muslim prayer call. Officials at Guantánamo have said inmates who break rules can be segregated, placed in more restrictive settings or lose access to comforts such as chess boards. In a case that prompted an investigation, one detainee told military authorities he was beaten by inmates and had urine thrown at him because he is a Shia Muslim and most of the other prisoners are Sunnis. Authorities at Guantánamo concluded there was no evidence to support the claim. Another inmate claimed he was beaten and threatened by other inmates because "high-ranking" detainees believed he was a spy. Military authorities concluded there was no evidence to back his claims. The US government began shipping suspected terrorists to Guantánamo in 2002. The camp has held around 700 prisoners from 45 countries. The US government announced last week that it planned to transfer some 110 Afghans back to their home country. |