Mohamedou Ould Slahi

The audio recording of “Life at Guantánamo: Writing Behind Bars”, a powerful and moving event that took place at Amnesty International’s London headquarters on Wednesday June 28, 2023, featuring former prisoners Mohamedou Ould Slahi (in person) and Mansoor Adayfi (by Zoom) in discussion, with Andy Worthington, about the enormous challenges they faced when it came to writing at Guantánamo, but how, almost against all odds, they overcame those challenges to create two books — Guantánamo Diary” and “Don’t Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo” — which provide searing accounts of the almost incomprehensible injustices and brutality that they experienced at the prison.

The video of, and my report about the powerful online panel discussion, hosted by the New America think-tank, marking the 22nd anniversary of the opening of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on January 11, featuring former prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi, UN Rapporteur Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, and myself, moderated by New America’s Vice President, Peter Bergen.

My report about last week’s Guantánamo events in London – the second meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Closure of the Guantánamo Detention Facility, attended by former prisoners Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Moazzam Begg, and an Amnesty International event featuring Mohamedou, and, via Zoom, former prisoner Mansoor Adayfi.

Promoting the second meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Closing the Guantánamo Detention Facility in the Houses of Parliament on Monday June 26, attended by former prisoners Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Mansoor Adayfi (on his first UK visit), followed by an event at Amnesty International’s UK headquarters in London on Wednesday June 28, at which Mohamedou and Mansoor will discuss writing in prison, and I will be moderating.

My report, with photos, of the inaugural meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Closing the Guantánamo Detention Facility, attended by former prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi and his former guard Steve Wood, and the three screenings of ‘The Mauritanian’ that followed, in Buckinghamshire and Brighton, at which I joined Mohamedou and Steve for Q&A sessions.

Announcing the inaugural meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Closure of Guantánamo on Monday April 24, co-chaired by Layla Moran (Lib Dem) and Chris Law (SNP), and with members (MPs and peers) from the Labour Party, the Conservatives and the Green Party. Also attending will be former prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi, and his former guard Steve Wood, and Mohamedou, Steve and I will also be attending screenings of ‘The Mauritanian’, the feature film about Mohamedou’s imprisonment and torture, on April 25, 26 and 28.

Promoting, and linking to ‘Guantánamo Voices’, a one-hour show by Alex Fitch, broadcast on Resonance FM, featuring comics creator Sarah Mirk discussing her 2020 graphic novel anthology ‘Guantánamo Voices’, me discussing Guantánamo’s history, and a recording of former prisoner and author Mohamedou Ould Slahi and I discussing Guantánamo at an event in Brighton last March, during Mohamedou’s first UK speaking tour. Alex also opened and closed the show with songs by my band The Four Fathers.

Linking to the video of a recent Q&A, featuring Mohamedou Ould Slahi, John Goetz and myself, following a screening of Goetz’s powerful documentary film, “Guantánamo Diary Revisited,” made available by its distributors in the US and Canada, Cinema Libre Studio. In the film, Goetz assists Slahi in tracking down some of those involved in his torture, the intention being to invite them to tea, and to let them know that he has forgiven everyone responsible for his torture.

Linking to and discussing the video of the powerful Q&A session that followed a screening of ‘The Mauritanian’ in Tunbridge Wells on March 20, 2022, featuring former Guantánamo prisoner Mohamedou Ould Salahi, whose story is told in the film.

Promoting the online screening, next week, of “Guantánamo Diary Revisited”, John Goetz’s new documentary about Mohamedou Ould Slahi, which is very generously being made available as a fundraiser to support my ongoing work on Guantánamo by the US and Canadian distributor, Cinema Libre Studio, with a Q&A session following, featuring Mohamedou, John and myself.