Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba ? Two Afghan prisoners, their hands bound and feet chained to the floor, pleaded for their freedom Thursday before U.S. military tribunals, their first hearings since they’ve been held at Guantanamo Bay and the first open to observers.

The first detainee, who has been held for 2 1/2 years, spoke quietly through a Pashto interpreter to declare he had a Taliban-issued rifle but never fought against Americans.

“I surrendered myself to Americans because I believed Americans are for human rights,” the 31-year-old prisoner said. “I had never heard Americans mistreated anybody in the past.”

The other prisoner, 49, also speaking through a translator, said he was a wood seller who was forced to join the hard-line Islamic militia. “The Taliban came to my house and they took me,” said the man, who had a full gray beard and closely shorn hair.

Thursday’s hearings, held in a windowless 10-by-20-foot room in a trailer, were the ninth and 10th since the tribunal process began a week ago to determine whether some 585 men being held at the U.S. military prison in Cuba should be held as “enemy combatants” or set free.

Though reporters were admitted for the first time, they were barred from releasing detainees’ names or taking photos. Journalists were allowed to see the first parts of the hearings before they were closed so the panel could review classified information.

The hearings are the first opportunity detainees have had to plead their cases since the detention mission began in January 2002. Human rights lawyers say the tribunals are a sham, pointing out that the detainees are not allowed lawyers and saying the officers hearing cases can’t be considered impartial.

During his appearance, the first detainee, a slight man with a long, dark beard, glanced at panel members and three journalists wearing yellow media badges. Other reporters watched through a two-way mirror.

“If you are arresting everybody with the name of Taliban, it doesn’t mean they are all against Americans,” he said. “I wasn’t going to fight anyone.”