David Hicks at breaking point says father

"The father of David Hicks believes his son is at breaking point after the terror suspect refused to speak to him in a pre-arranged telephone call.

"Terry Hicks had hoped to speak to his son, detained by the US at Guantanamo Bay, for the first time in six months.

"But after phoning the US military detention centre from Adelaide, Mr Hicks was informed his son had declined to accept the call.

"'He's really struggling, he's just not coping,' Mr Hicks said.

"'For him to do that, it shows he's just not right.

"'The emotional stress on him must be terrible.'

"Mr Hicks said his son was unable to communicate properly during their last telephone conversation in July this year.

"He was now convinced his son was suffering severe mental problems, exacerbated by spending the past nine months in solitary confinement.

"'We have been worried about David's mental state for three years,' Mr Hicks said.

"'This shows he's not as well as everyone says he is.

"'He has probably thought "do I need to go through this mental stress" and speak to the family.

"'The Australian government says he's OK ... but they're cold, they have got no heart, they don't care about him.'

"It also emerged this week that defence counsel visiting clients in Guantanamo Bay are now being prevented from bringing in psychologists and other mental health experts.

"'Without independent mental health professionals coming in from outside, we have no real idea what sort of state of mind this man is in and how close he is to suicide,' Australian psychologist Professor Paul Mullen, who visited Hicks in February 2005 but was refused permission to visit again last week, said on Tuesday.

"Hicks has been detained by the US at Guantanamo Bay since January 2002, a month after his capture among Taliban forces in Afghanistan ..."
SMH


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