Feroz Abbasi

On July 12, 2006 the magazine Mother Jones provided excerpts from the transcripts of a selection of the Guantanamo detainees.[10] Abbasi was one of the detainees profiled. According to the article his transcript contained the following exchange:

Abbasi: So, you are telling me I am an enemy combatant. I am telling you by special Geneva Conventions, I am a non-combatant….
Tribunal president: Once again, international law does not matter here. Geneva Convention does not matter here. What matters here and I am concerned about and what I really want to get to is your status as enemy combatant based upon the evidence that has been provided and your actions while you were in Afghanistan. If you deviate from that one more time you will be removed from this tribunal and we will continue to hear evidence without you being present….
Abbasi: I know, but I have the right to speak….
Tribunal president: No, you don’t.
Abbasi: And the personal representative told me I can say whatever I like.
Tribunal president: He was mistaken if he told you that….
[Abbasi continues to speak at length.]
Tribunal president: Once again…international law…. [Abbasi interrupts.] Mr. Abbasi, your conduct is unacceptable and this is your absolute final warning. I don't care about international law. I don’t want to hear the words “international law” again. We are not concerned with international law.