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Iraqi-Born Swede Claims Abuse in Abu Ghraib

NPR | By Ari Shapiro
Published May 20, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT
Saleh displays his torn up passport. He says he presented it as proof of his Swedish citizenship at the time of his arrest, but U.S. forces ripped up the document.
Ari Shapiro, NPR
Saleh displays his torn up passport. He says he presented it as proof of his Swedish citizenship at the time of his arrest, but U.S. forces ripped up the document.

In the latest allegation of abuse to emerge from Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi-born Swedish citizen says he's filed a compensation claim with the U.S. Army for torture he endured at the prison camp last fall. Now recuperating in the United States, Saleh -- who asked NPR not to use his first name -- says he also witnessed U.S. prison guards kill five inmates without provocation.

An Army spokesman said the claims office could not comment on a pending case without the express written consent of the claimant. Saleh's lawyer says he doesn't feel comfortable sending a release form without knowing in advance what the Army will say. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports. [Editor's note: This piece contains graphic language.]

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ari Shapiro
Ari Shapiro has been one of the hosts of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine, since 2015. During his first two years on the program, listenership to All Things Considered grew at an unprecedented rate, with more people tuning in during a typical quarter-hour than any other program on the radio.
See stories by Ari Shapiro