Gitmo Abuse Worse Under Obama: Lawyer

Prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay has gone up since the election of President Obama, who’s promised to close the facility, a lawyer tells Reuters. Detainees represented by Ahmed Ghappour complained of beatings, dislocation of limbs, overfeeding while on hunger strike, and pepper spray on their toilet paper. “Guards are just basically trying to get their kicks in,” he said.

Ghappour’s comments come days after the Pentagon confirmed new reports of prison abuse, including “preemptive use of pepper spray,” but said they were within the confines of the Geneva Conventions. The human-rights lawyer has filed two complaints of serious detainee abuse, without response. “Some detainees are convinced they are going to be locked up there forever,” he said. (More Guantanamo prisoners stories.)