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Page 2 of 2 Huda Al- Azawi Was a Victim of Blackmail Huda , 43, is in jail now for the third time, her story is well known , not only inside Iraq . It is a big tragedy of a whole family. Huda's brother Iyad was killed under torture in Adhamiya American military base in December 2003, his body was found in Baghdad morgue 3 months later among the unidentified. Her sister Nahla was arrested with her in December 2003 for eight months. Her Brother Ali is still in Bucca Camp for a year and a half now. Her nephew, Mohammad is arrested with her now, and is in Abo Greib . Her other brother, Mo'taz , was released after 15 months in Bucca . Their problem is that they are wealthy family. They refused to be blackmailed .  Huda is a business woman . She is a contractor. According to her daughter Farah , 23, a collaborator asked her to pay him $20.000, she refused, so he gave the American bad information about her, and she was arrested in December 2003. After 8 months of torture, too bad treatment, beating (when she was released her right arm was broken), in Abo Greib , the American general apologized to her, saying that he was sorry, that her file is clean, that investigations proved that she is innocent of the charge of funding the resistance, and that she was a victim of bad information.
"She was another woman when she was released last July " Farah says. This time her house was raided by the Iraqi National Guards and the American troops together on February 17, 2005 at 2.30 am . The house was hit by sound bombs, tear gas, the doors , windows and furniture were broken. All the personal and business documents, the computers, the money, the jewelry, and the car were all confiscated. The chairs were still covered with small pieces of glass when we visited her house. The younger daughter, Noor , 14, was slapped on her face many times by one of the INGs because she was crying when they tried to separate her from her sister, Farah . They used very bad words against them. "But all this is not a problem", Farah insists "the problem is that my mother was ill when she was arrested in February, she just had an operation in her armpit, the stitches were not removed yet. They tied her arms to her back very tightly, she was crying, they tied her feet too, and hooded her. Her medicines were not taken with her . "After she was arrested I looked for her every were, I had no clue where she was, until my cousin who was arrested in the same night was moved from the airport to Abo Greib , and we visited him, told us that she is kept in a solitary confinement in the airport" When were in Huda's house interviewing Farah , the Red Cross called from Amman saying that her mother sent the first letter since she was arrested 2 months ago. There was a deep feeling of resignation in the letter. Huda says that this is her fate, she asks her daughters to take care of them selves and to be brave, to try to help her. She says that she is very tired and does not feel well, but she does not need clothes or food, that she is in the airport, given the same number as in the first arrest. How was she arrested first in 2003? -She went to the American base herself. After they came to our house many times, asking questions, she decided to go and meet the American commander himself. They arrested her there, never released until 8 months later, psychologically destroyed. We did not know about her until 6 months later. Huda's lawyer told us not to talk about her torture in Abu Greib in front of Farah and Noor , because she did not tell her daughters anything of that. There were 14 women with her. Their hands and legs were tied, heads hooded, they were put in solitary tight rooms. They were ordered to do the cleaning. But the most sever experience for Huda in jail was when her brother Iyad's dead body was thrown on her. He was naked , covered with bruises. Abu Hind never imagined that he was a suspect  Abu Hind , is a middle aged widower who was arrested twice for short periods, again not knowing why. But he never imagined that he was going to be arrested simply because he is paralyzed and moves on a wheel chair for 24 years now. He was injured in 1981 in the Iraqi-Iranian war. He lives with his two teenage daughters in a village north of Baghdad .
The first time he was arrested he was fasting, coming back from the market with his young daughter, he found his house raided and surrounded by hummers and tens of soldiers. They accused him of attacking a military convoy. He was released after three days because his health deteriorated; he also suffers from kidney problems and bed ulcer. The second time was a month later. He was arrested in the green zone, this time he was beaten and tortured. They asked him about weapons they found near the river. They kicked him on his face and his mouth was torn and bleeding. They poured cold water on his naked body in winter. After six days of torture he collapsed. When they released him he was dying. They threw him in a car station. But why do you think they came for you? -I think because of my look, you know with the beard. They actually said so. They asked me about the terrorists. I told them that since I was injured in the war, it was difficult for me to keep neat. In fact they arrested many people with me, but they released me because I was dying. What I do not understand is why they raid the houses so violently, they did not need that. They were pointing their guns at me, and I am helpless, I can not even put on my clothes without help. To Be Continued…
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