ACCOUNT OF AN ALLEGED DETENTION BY JAYSH AL-MAHDI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001199

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2026
TAGS: PHUM PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: ACCOUNT OF AN ALLEGED DETENTION BY JAYSH AL-MAHDI

Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR MICHAEL J. ADLER, FOR REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary. In an April 6 conversation, Baghdad resident
Hussein Muhammed (strictly protect) told PolOff he was
kidnapped from his home February 22 by Jaysh-al-Mahdi (JAM)
and taken blindfolded to an unknown location where he was
physically abused after refusing to admit his Sunni
affiliations and the names and locations of other Sunnis in
his neighborhood. He claimed to believe that he escaped
death when a JAM member, and would-be interrogator,
recognized him and ordered that he be set free. Muhammed,
who was referred to us by a Sunni Waqf contact, is a Sunni
Arab but reportedly lived in the predominantly Shia district
of Baghdad Jadida at the time of his abduction. End Summary.


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Alleged Kidnapping by Jaysh al-Mahdi
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2. (C) Hussein Muhammed told PolOff that on February 22 up to
ten armed men dressed in black clothing broke down his door
and kidnapped him from his house in the predominantly Shia
area of Baghdad Jadida (Amin neighborhood). As Muhammed was
taken from his house, and beaten, he said he recognized
several members of the group, including his grocer and
several unemployed residents of the neighborhood who he said
were widely known to be JAM members.


3. (C) After first being driven to the Al-Sadr Hussaynia in
Sadr City, Muhammed said he was transferred to a second
location to be interrogated. Before being taken inside the
second location, one of his captors placed a piece of paper
in his pocket and told him that the paper would help him.
Muhammed told PolOff that after he was freed, he pulled out
the piece of paper and saw the word "terrorist" written on
it.

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INTERROGATION AND ABUSE
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4. (C) Once in the facility, Muhammed said he was taken
blindfolded into a room and made to kneel with his face to
the ground. An interrogator facing him asked questions while
behind him someone waited to beat him with a blunt object.
Muhammed said there were at least two other interrogators
present during questioning sessions. The principal
interrogator accused him of being a terrorist and demanded
the names and addresses of other Sunnis in the neighborhood.
Muhammed said that despite the severe beatings he received,
he continuously denied being Sunni for fear that he would be
immediately killed. He was beaten at several intervals, and
was at one point hung upside down to be beaten further.
Muhammed said that throughout this time, he was able to hear
the anguished cries of many others being abused in the same
facility.


5. (C) Muhammed told PolOff that a new shift of interrogators
eventually arrived to replace the previous group. As he was
taken blindfolded before the new team, one of the new
interrogators recognized him and ordered that he be released.
After being driven to a police station by his captors who
told the police "we don't have anything on him", Mohammed was
returned to his neighborhood. During the ride back, the
police cautioned that he keep his eyes closed and face down
during the duration of the ride, and emphasized to Mohammed
that it was not the police who had done this to him.

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COMMENT
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6. (C) Muhammed told PolOff that he has left his
predominantly Shia neighborhood and is now living with his
brother. Though he did not show PolOff his torture marks, he
said that it took him a month to recover from his wounds.
Muhammed is a mild-mannered and seemingly religious man.
Although it is difficult to judge the veracity of his
statements, especially without physical proof, we have heard
numerous similar stories. This account is notable, because
it came directly from an alleged victim, himself, and
occurred in the immediate aftermath of the Samarra bombing.
KHALILZAD