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American Morning
Saudi Justice
Aired September 10, 2003 - 09:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A British man in Saudi Arabia was facing a death sentence behind bars, accused of taking part in a bombing campaign. Sandy Mitchell actually confessed to his interrogators. It was seen on television in Saudi Arabia. But last month, he was granted clemency by King Fahd and then released. He's now back in England. Mitchell says he was tortured while in Saudi custody and forced into confessing. He's live with us in London to talk about it.
And we appreciate your time here on AMERICAN MORNING.
First things first, why were you sent to Saudi Arabia? Why did you go there?
SANDY MITCHELL, SAYS HE WAS TORTURED: I went there to take up a position at the security forces hospital as a chief anesthetic technician.
HEMMER: In December of 2000, then, sir, you were accused of what in the kingdom?
MITCHELL: In December of 2000, I was accused of killing another British national, a man called Christopher Rodway. That man was brutally murdered, but it was not by me or by any of my friends.
HEMMER: You claim that you were tortured behind bars. How so? What happened?
MITCHELL: We were tortured. We were tortured. We were beaten on the soles of our feet, our buttocks, were chained ankles and foot, metal bar behind the back of our legs. We were beaten, punched, slapped kicked, spat on continuously.
And the most agonizing sensation for me was the beating on the soles of my feet, which I still haven't recovered from.
They cannot deny that we were tortured. It's common knowledge, even after we left the hands of the secret police and went to the prison of Al Haia, the prison doctors examined us because of the state our bodies were in. They knew we were tortured. Perhaps the Saudi government were not aware...
HEMMER: I apologize for the interruption. There's a bit of the delay on the satellite. I'm sorry for that.
What was the intent of the torture? Did they want information out of you? Were they trying to finish you? What was the intent? MITCHELL: Their intent was to get a confession. We all had alibis. I was at home with my family when both these explosions happened. I told them that. They had an alibi for me. What was the reason for it? They told me the very first day that I went into that detention center, before you leave this place, you'll either go insane, or you will confess to these crimes. They were right on both occasions. I went -- I was almost insane by the time my ordeal was over.
HEMMER: But at one point, you were seen on television in Saudi Arabia confessing to that crime. Why did you make such a statement?
MITCHELL: Because if I hadn't made that statement, I would have been back to the detention center, and I'd have been tortured again. I was also afraid they were going to arrest my wife. They did tell me that they could arrest my wife at any time.
HEMMER: Last month, a foreign affairs adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah released a statement, Abdel Al-Jubeir. I'll read it for you. He says, "We have the evidence. We have the proof. We stand by it. I don't expect that men who were pardoned would come out and say, oh, gee, the Saudis were really right, we were alcohol smugglers and we tried to shoot each other." That's the statement from Saudi Arabia.
What can you say right now, looking back at your experience, about Saudi society, that you want us to know?
MITCHELL: The expatriates in Saudi Arabia know that that's not true. Lots of men -- lots people in Saudi Arabia know that that's not true, and the authorities know that that's not true, because we were not part of the alcohol smuggling business. Secondly, that was not what we were charged with.
HEMMER: You have your freedom now. And I want to say thank you for sharing your story with us today.
One more thing? Go ahead, Sandy, sure.
MITCHELL: Just one thing, if there is any evidence, why haven't they shown it?
HEMMER: Good point. We'll look into it, again, for another day.
Sandy Mitchell, thanks for your time, in London with us today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 10, 2003 - 09:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: A British man in Saudi Arabia was facing a death sentence behind bars, accused of taking part in a bombing campaign. Sandy Mitchell actually confessed to his interrogators. It was seen on television in Saudi Arabia. But last month, he was granted clemency by King Fahd and then released. He's now back in England. Mitchell says he was tortured while in Saudi custody and forced into confessing. He's live with us in London to talk about it.
And we appreciate your time here on AMERICAN MORNING.
First things first, why were you sent to Saudi Arabia? Why did you go there?
SANDY MITCHELL, SAYS HE WAS TORTURED: I went there to take up a position at the security forces hospital as a chief anesthetic technician.
HEMMER: In December of 2000, then, sir, you were accused of what in the kingdom?
MITCHELL: In December of 2000, I was accused of killing another British national, a man called Christopher Rodway. That man was brutally murdered, but it was not by me or by any of my friends.
HEMMER: You claim that you were tortured behind bars. How so? What happened?
MITCHELL: We were tortured. We were tortured. We were beaten on the soles of our feet, our buttocks, were chained ankles and foot, metal bar behind the back of our legs. We were beaten, punched, slapped kicked, spat on continuously.
And the most agonizing sensation for me was the beating on the soles of my feet, which I still haven't recovered from.
They cannot deny that we were tortured. It's common knowledge, even after we left the hands of the secret police and went to the prison of Al Haia, the prison doctors examined us because of the state our bodies were in. They knew we were tortured. Perhaps the Saudi government were not aware...
HEMMER: I apologize for the interruption. There's a bit of the delay on the satellite. I'm sorry for that.
What was the intent of the torture? Did they want information out of you? Were they trying to finish you? What was the intent? MITCHELL: Their intent was to get a confession. We all had alibis. I was at home with my family when both these explosions happened. I told them that. They had an alibi for me. What was the reason for it? They told me the very first day that I went into that detention center, before you leave this place, you'll either go insane, or you will confess to these crimes. They were right on both occasions. I went -- I was almost insane by the time my ordeal was over.
HEMMER: But at one point, you were seen on television in Saudi Arabia confessing to that crime. Why did you make such a statement?
MITCHELL: Because if I hadn't made that statement, I would have been back to the detention center, and I'd have been tortured again. I was also afraid they were going to arrest my wife. They did tell me that they could arrest my wife at any time.
HEMMER: Last month, a foreign affairs adviser to Crown Prince Abdullah released a statement, Abdel Al-Jubeir. I'll read it for you. He says, "We have the evidence. We have the proof. We stand by it. I don't expect that men who were pardoned would come out and say, oh, gee, the Saudis were really right, we were alcohol smugglers and we tried to shoot each other." That's the statement from Saudi Arabia.
What can you say right now, looking back at your experience, about Saudi society, that you want us to know?
MITCHELL: The expatriates in Saudi Arabia know that that's not true. Lots of men -- lots people in Saudi Arabia know that that's not true, and the authorities know that that's not true, because we were not part of the alcohol smuggling business. Secondly, that was not what we were charged with.
HEMMER: You have your freedom now. And I want to say thank you for sharing your story with us today.
One more thing? Go ahead, Sandy, sure.
MITCHELL: Just one thing, if there is any evidence, why haven't they shown it?
HEMMER: Good point. We'll look into it, again, for another day.
Sandy Mitchell, thanks for your time, in London with us today.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
