Muhammad Khalid Ismail

Muhammad Khalid Ismail fought against ISIS. After being wounded, he was captured by ISIS and transferred between different prisons.

In his testimony, Muhammad recounts how he was transferred from the Manbij Prison to the Stadium Prison with other prisoners. 

Having been brought to the prison by bus, the prisoners entered on foot and each had his head forced down by an ISIS member. They were then split into two groups of around 30. Each group was sent to a group cell that also contained a small bathroom with such a low ceiling that standing was difficult. Muhammad insisted that there was a camera surveilling them at all times.

According to Muhammad, the ISIS security official Abu al-Huda himself instructed them all that both the conditions and the treatment of prisoners in the Stadium Prison were different from in the Manbij Prison. The lack of food was given as an example. 

The witness also mentions that all the male prisoners were gathered again in a single group cell when a group of female prisoners arrived. This suggests that the Stadium Prison also contained a section for female prisoners. 

Muhammad explains that talking to the jailers was prohibited unless permission had been given, which happened rarely, if at all. Inmates could also be collectively punished for any individual mistake. To avoid any risk of punishment, prisoners often tried to manage the behavior of younger inmates, who were unaware as to why they had been imprisoned and were being tortured, by dividing them into small groups and assigning an adult to oversee them.

During the day, inmates spent their time reciting the Quran, praying, and participating in the religious lessons given by a sheik who was a fellow inmate. They regarded him as their mentor and thought him both kind and well-mannered.

Muhammad says that, while he was there, the inmates were not subjected to any punishment because they took care not to cause any issues. Nevertheless, that did not prevent some jailers – particularly those of Tunisian nationality – from being cruel and inhumane. He explains how one jailer would torture and abuse the younger inmates to entertain himself. He would blindfold the children and split them into two ‘teams.’ Having lined them up opposite each other, he would order them to run so that they would crash into each other. Other times, he would push the blindfolded children toward a wall so that they would bump into it. He would also occasionally order a couple of them to lift another up to the ceiling fan to try and catch it. The child who had been lifted up would be hit by the spinning blades, either causing injury to his hand or knocking him down.  

One New Year’s Eve, the guards mocked the prisoners and told them that everyone would celebrate together. Many of the prisoners were brought out into the yard, stripped down to their underwear, and then flogged while having cold water poured on them. The prisoners returned to the cell covered in bruises.

Regarding food, Muhammad reports that the situation was dire. Food was given out to each prisoner, yet it was not enough to satisfy their hunger. During one incident when the kitchen was damaged and out of action due to an airstrike, Muhammad says that ISIS were forced to bring them food from nearby restaurants, which was of much better quality. However, when the kitchen was restored, the quality of food and the treatment of the prisoners by the guards worsened once again. The prisoners were forced to eat a large amount of bad food – a move that made Muhammad believe that ISIS were trying to get revenge.

Muhammad also lists some of the names of the jailers. Among them was the terrible Abu Basir al-Tunisi, who delighted in torturing prisoners, especially those of Arab origin. He also mentions the jailers Abu Aisha and Abu Bakr, both of whom were from Manbij.

When Muhammad first arrived at the Stadium Prison, he felt it was like the notorious Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib Prison. He ends his testimony by saying that the intense torture and the bitterness he held within him made the 15 days he was detained feel more like 15 years. He couldn’t believe it when he was released.