Coalition Admits Accepting Detainee from American on Trial in Kabul for Illegal Jail

Jonathan K. Idema and two other American citizens are facing trial in Kabul on charges of running an unauthorized detention facility and a torture chamber in Afghanistan as part of a private counter-terrorism operation. Eight Afghan nationals were held without legal sanction.

Coalition forces acknowledged Thursday that they had taken a prisoner from Idema's group. Spokesman Major Jon Siepmann said the transfer happened because the individual was believed to be a suspected terrorist wanted for questioning.

In court, Idema claimed he operated with the full knowledge of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other senior Pentagon officials. Both the State Department and coalition military authorities rejected the assertion, issuing multiple denials of any official relationship with the group.

A coalition statement released on 4 July, one day before Idema's arrest, said he "does not represent the American government" and was not in its employ.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in July 2004, in its own words.