JURIST - Paper Chase: Guantanamo guards seize items given to Khadr by military lawyer

[JURIST] Guards at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] have confiscated several unapproved items, including news articles printed off the Internet and a "Lord of the Rings" movie script, from Canadian detainee Omar Khadr [DOD materials; JURIST news archive], officials said Thursday. Khadr's appointed US military lawyer, Lieutenant Commander Bill Kuebler, said that he gave Khadr the unapproved materials to help establish a rapport with his client. Guantanamo officials said that lawyers are not permitted to give their clients anything other than materials directly related to their defense. Kuebler was also barred from playing chess or dominoes with Khadr, an activity he defended as necessary to build a relationship with the Canadian youth.

Khadr faces life imprisonment after allegedly throwing a grenade that killed one US soldier and wounded another while fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2002, when he was 15. He was charged [charge sheet, PDF; JURIST report] in April 2007 with murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism, as well as spying. Khadr is one of four [JURIST report] Guantanamo detainees prosecuted under the Military Commissions Act of 2006 [PDF text]. In an affidavit released last month, Khadr said that US interrogators in Afghanistan threatened him with rape, physically abused him, and forced him to swear to false statements [JURIST report]. AP has more.

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