I was honoured to host a special and important discussion at Chatham House on the legacy of Guantanamo Bay prison, 20 years after it secretly opened its doors to people, most of whom were held without charge. I was especially pleased to welcome Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was held there for 15 years between 2002 and 2016 – then released without charge, without trial. He endured unimaginable torture and lost almost two decades of his life.
Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, said: “Whoever listens to a witness becomes a witness.”
Mohamedou’s story is important for us all to witness and remember so it won’t happen again.
Mohamedou was joined by Sonya Sceats, CEO of Freedom From Torture, a wonderful non-profit that picks people up at their lowest point and gives them support, hope and friendship. The panel was completed by Col. Fran Gilligan of the Dept of Defense.
You can watch the video of our discussion here.