Jaoudat Abouazza's supporters say he was illegally arrested, held for 41 days and subjected to crude torture in the name of "dentistry" while in police custody in Bristol County, MA in June. Here's how an op-ed piece in the Brookline TAB describes his treatment (via UFO Breakfast):
Guards at the Bristol County Correctional Facility allegedly punched the Palestinian and repeatedly taunted him with chants of "Taliban." On June 16, according to Brill, Abouazza was restrained while someone in a surgical mask forcibly extracted four teeth. Without anesthetic. The next day, when he said he wanted his lawyer to review a form they told him to sign, Abouazza says the guards threw him into solitary. When it turned out one of his teeth was only partially removed, it took pressure from the Canadian Consulate and the ACLU to get him antibiotics and pain medication.The story goes on to describe numerous bizarre legal abuses, including one judge penalizing Abouazza for his absence from a hearing which the INS refused to let him attend. Another source says he was finally flown to Canada and released on July 9th.The Sheriff denies Abouazza's charges. But attorney Brill says an independent review of the medical records supports the claim that Abouazza never signed a consent form - and reveals that the extraction proceeded without x-rays and other standard pre-op procedures.
What I find oddest about this case is that I can't find confirmation of it from higher-profile mainstream sources. A search of the New York Times, Google News, Yahoo News, etc. turns up nothing. The Boston Globe seems to have one article (which I can't get to without paying, sigh) but no followup coverage of the final outcome and no emphasis on the torture allegations. I'd think that allegations of police torture, whether true or false, would be considered a serious matter and get something more than spotty local coverage. Consider the parallels with the Abner Louima case. Or does the War on Terrorism somehow change the rules?
Update: There may be less here than meets the eye. See the comments below.
/ Usenet thread