Tapes of force-feeding in Guantanamo to remain secret on grounds they incite violence against Americans

A federal appeals court in the US has ruled that at least 28 videotapes depicting guards at Guantanamo Bay prison force-feeding a detainee will be kept secret, despite a petition to disclose them on the grounds that it is in the public’s interest to see them, reports the New York Times.

In 2013 detainees began a hunger strike in the prison when they heard guards had mishandled a Qur’an whilst searching their cells.

Read: Trump eyes ‘flexible’ Daesh war fund, Guantanamo upgrade

Detainees on hunger strike are strapped into a restraint chair, a tube inserted through the nose so that a nutritional supplement can be poured through it and into their stomach. The same year US actor and rapper Yasin Bey (Mos Def) was filmed being force-fed in a disturbing film that highlighted the brutal procedure.

The government argues that the tapes could be used as propaganda to incite violence against Americans and could also encourage terrorism.

If detainees are able to study the videos, says the government, not only will they ‘act out’ on the presumption that it will be filmed, but they will study the guards’ techniques and develop countermeasures.