Germany - "Secret Prisoner" El Masri Blows a Fuse

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) (article in German), Khaled el Masri who allegedly was kidnapped by the CIA and tortured in a secret prison in Afghanistan, is suspected of having set a warehouse on fire. The investigating judge admitted him to a psychiatric clinic. El Masri's attorney claimed that his client was afflicted with a mental disorder caused by the agonies he suffered during his imprisonment in Afghanistan. Yet, up to this point, all requests from part of the attorney to get governmental assistance for his client's post-traumatic treatment had been futile. Currently, such a request is pending with the Bavarian government.

As tragic as it is, this recent development may come in handy for El Masri's critics and cast new doubts on El Masri's story. Let us hope that this possible act of desperation will at least bring El Masri the looked-for psychological treatment.