The Miami Herald > News > Americas > Guantánamo > In the Courts

In the Courts

  • Logout
  • Member Center
    •

Judge mandates medical exam for hunger striker

A detainee sits alone inside a fenced area during his daily recreation period at the U.S. Navy base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in this December 2006 file photo. By Guantánamo ground rules, a Defense Department employee reviewed this image in advance of release.
A detainee sits alone inside a fenced area during his daily recreation period at the U.S. Navy base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, in this December 2006 file photo. By Guantánamo ground rules, a Defense Department employee reviewed this image in advance of release.
BRENNAN LINSLEY / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Associated Press

A judge has ordered an independent medical exam for a Saudi prisoner at Guantánamo who has been on hunger strike for more than three years.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled after a hearing in Washington that a court-appointed medical expert will evaluate the physical and mental health of Ahmed Zuhair, whose lawyers say has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.

Sullivan also ordered release of Zuhair's medical records.

The judge denied a defense request to halt the use of restraints when the prisoner is force-fed at the prison camps. He also refused to order the U.S. to stop using a corn-based liquid nutrient to feed the prisoner, which his legal team says may be causing an allergic reaction.

Last month, his lawyer returned from visiting Zuhair and said his client appeared to weigh no more than 100 pounds and was vomiting repeatedly during meetings at the American base in Cuba.

U.S. authorities have said Zuhair is in no danger and has been combative with guards.

Zuhair has been on a hunger strike to protest his confinement since the summer of 2005. He has not been charged with a crime, but the U.S. says he trained with the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and was a member of an Islamic fighting group in Bosnia in the mid-1990s.

The Miami Herald

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Comments (0)

Top Searches: Obituaries | Horoscopes | Lottery | Calendar

  • More In the Courts

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category