Thirteen years after the spectacle of men arriving at guantanamo first transfixed gazes around the world, a literary voice has finally bypassed the shackles, blindfolds, and muzzles to reach us. Mohamedou ould slahis guantanamo diary is the only text from a current detainee that provides a firstperson account of his interrogations and interactions with health professionals. Three years into his captivity slahi began a diary, recounting his life before he disappeared into u. With shailene woodley, zachary levi, benedict cumberbatch, jodie foster. Reading mohamedou ould slahis guantanamo diary, you quickly realise that this is not a normal book. If i wanted to, i could put my pen down right now, close my office door behind me, and go for a long walk outside. This memoir tells the story of mohamedou ould slahi, a multilingual, internationally educated mauritanian man who was suspected of terrorism and detained by the u. Guantanamo diary isbn 9780316328609 pdf epub larry siems. Guantanamo diary the fully restored text by mohamedou ould slahi, larry siems paperback 9781786891853 published by canongate 17 october 2017.
Guantanamo diary by mohamedou ould slahi since 2002, mohamedou ould slahi has been imprisoned at guantanamo bay. Bestselling author pleads to be freed from guantanamo. Jan 20, 2015 a guantanamo diary from a prisoner still on the inside. Steve kroft, correspondent for 60 minutes anyone who reads guantanamo diary and every american with a shred of conscience should do so, now will be ashamed and appalled. Guantanamo diary, by mohamedou ould slahi financial times. Guantanamo diary by mohamedou ould slahi and larry siems editor is a very thoughtprovoking and disturbing book. Guantanamo diary author mohamedou slahi freed cnnpolitics. From the 2016 tucson festival of books, theresa duncan, counsel to mohamedou ould slahi, a prisoner at guantanamo bay, talks about her clients life in the prison and his book, guantanamo diary. In autumn 2003, soon after his false rendition, slahi was moved to a blackedout isolation cell built specifically for his interrogation. Although he was ordered released by a federal judge, the u.
How guantanamo diary escaped the black hole and got past the. His diary is not merely a vivid record of a miscarriage of justice, but a deeply personal memoir terrifying, darkly humorous, and surprisingly gracious. Mohamedou slahi has been imprisoned at the detainee camp at guanta. Releases mohamedou ould slahi, author of guantanamo. Two producers behind paul greengrass united 93 and green zone have optioned rights to mohamedou ould slahi s memoir guantanamo diary. Anyone who reads guantanamo diary and every american with a shred of conscience should do so, now will be ashamed and appalled. The 400plus page memoir was written by mohamedou ould slahi, a man from mauritania who has been held in the prison since 2002. Teaching mohamedou ould slahis guantanamo diary in the human rights and literature classroom. This is an incredible document, and a hell of a story.
He explains why that is in his book, guantanamo diary, which was published in january 2015, and is attached as. Slahi, an electrical engineer, was arrested in his native mauritania in 2001 at the behest of the u. Slahi wrote a memoir in 2005 while imprisoned, which the u. My guantanamo diary, uncensored american civil liberties. Slahi is still living in the same rooma small, freestanding prison hutin which he wrote guantanamo diary, in 2005, before passing it to his lawyers. Review of guantanamo diary 2 flash qfiasco debased, permeated with malice and insult. On october 16, 2017, the first anniversary of mohamedou ould slahi s release, hachette u. Guantanamo diary by mohamedou ould slahi the new york times. Jan 20, 2015 guantanamo diary by mohamedou ould slahi and larry siems editor is a very thoughtprovoking and disturbing book. Mohamedou ould slahis 2015 guantanamo diary has received extensive attention in the media and. Guantanamo diary author mohamedou ould slahi freed after 14. Mohamedou slahi at the desk where he used to sit in high school. Slahi while in guantanamo, i would be pleased to welcome him into my home.
Feb, 2015 guantanamo diary, mohamedou ould slahis extraordinary account of rendition, captivity and torture reveals, more vividly than any book in the previous decade of shockandawe ferocity, how he. After spending 14 years in guantanamo bay, guantanamo diary author mohamedou slahi has been released to his native mauritania. Little, brown, 2015, 314, further citations in text. Jan 31, 2015 the first word of guantanamo diary is a black bar the book, in which guantanamo detainee mohamedou ould slahi tells of his odyssey through overseas prisons and his torture and abuse by the us. As mohamedou ould slahi has been unable to speak about his book himself, his incredible, moving story is being brought to life by celebrities who have been touched by his story. A guantanamo guard and his detainee reunite former guantanamo guard steve wood recently took a trip to mauritania to visit mohamedou ould slahi, the prisoner he watched for almost a. Feb 15, 2015 guantanamo diary is the most profound account yet written of what it is like to be that collateral damage.
Slahi emerges from the pages of his diary, handwritten in 2005, as a curious and generous personality, observant, witty and devout, but by no means fanatical. My guantanamo diary, uncensored american civil liberties union. In all these years, the united states has never charged him with a crime. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. But censorship is only one part of this system, and the greatest victims are not. Mohamedou ould slahi, a detainee since 2002, publishes his diary of the brutal conditions at guantanamo. Mohamedou ould slahi was released one year ago from the prison at guantanamo bay, after 14 years without charge or trial. Parallels in the first memoir from a prisoner still being held at guantanamo, mohamedou ould slahi tells how he went from his native. Slahi s bestselling book guantanamo diary recounts his interrogations and alleged torture.
Guantanamo diary the fully restored text by mohamedou ould. Mohamedou ould slahis unflinching account of his fourteen years of detention without charge in guantanamo bay. Three years into his captivity, slahi began a diary, recounting his life before he left his home and disappeared into u. A delegation from the international committee of the red cross that visited in september. Despite being advertised as a diary, however, it has undergone redaction from american government officials.
Guantanamo diary by mohamedou ould slahi, larry siems. In guantanamo diary, mohamedou ould slahi, 44, describes beatings, death threats, sexual humiliation and a mock execution, according to an advance copy of the book. Releases mohamedou ould slahi, author of guantanamo diary mohamedou ould slahi has been held at the u. The international bestseller that set the world on fire, told in full for the first time. One fall day years ago mohamedou ould slahi, a 30yearold electrical engineer. Guantanamo diary, by mohamedou ould slahi the new york times. While jodie foster and shailene woodley feature in the film, other amazing actors include benedict cumberbatch, zachary levi and tahar rahim who will play mohamedou ould slahi. Prisoner 760, as he has been identified by his captors, writes of being sleepdeprived. A guantanamo detainee endures a hellish ordeal in this riveting prison diary. Nation, narration, and health in mohamedou ould slahis.
The new edition, with redactions filled in and a beautiful new introduction by mohamedou, at last brings his full ordeal in u. The film will be an adaption of a new york times bestselling memoir written by mohamedou ould slahi during his imprisonment, called guantanamo diary. Learn about new offers and get more deals by joining our newsletter. Guantanamo detainee mohamedou ould slahi cant have a copy. My lawyers had shown me photographs of the book on the shelves of bookstores in several cities and languages, and they were able to bring me a photocopy of my text, with all of the.
Reading mohamedou ould slahi s guantanamo diary, you quickly realise that this is not a normal book. John le carre anyone who reads guantanamo diary and anyone with a shred of conscience should do so, now will be ashamed and appalled. Since 2002, mohamedou slahi has been imprisoned at the detention camp at guanta. Mohamedou ould slahi s demand for simple justice should be our call to action. Mohamedou slahi has been imprisoned at the detainee camp at guantanamo bay, cuba since 2002. Arrested again and then held, although the government where he was arrested could not understand why he was arrested but they were doing it for the americans. Mohamedou ould slahi s demand for simple justice should be. Slahi has made clear in everything he has written that he has no animosity to anyone as a result of his incarceration. Oct 17, 2016 after spending 14 years in guantanamo bay, guantanamo diary author mohamedou slahi has been released to his native mauritania. The memoir, written by slahi, is edited and formatted by editor larry siems.
Many of the words, sentences and pages have been redacted with thick, black bars. Oct 17, 2016 the author of an internationally bestselling memoir about life in guantanamo bay has been released after enduring 14 years and severe torture at the us detention center mohamedou ould slahi. The book chronicles his journey from voluntarily driving over to the police station in his native mauritania for questioning in 2001, and the u. Guantanamo diary forces us to consider why the united states has set aside the cherished idea that a timely. Since 2002, mohamedou slahi has been imprisoned at the detention camp at guantanamo bay, cuba. Mohamedou ould slahi, author of guantanamo diary, might. But guantanamo diary turns out to be especially human. Jan 23, 2015 guantanamo diary, by mohamedou ould slahi, edited by larry siems, canongate, rrp. When slahi quotes the language inflicted upon him by interrogators and guards at gtmo, it is obvious that the same debasement of english occurred there.
Pdf this essay provides a case study of slahis guantanamo diary in order to demonstrate how a literary approach to contribute to the study. Everyone should read guantanamo diary just by virtue of having been written inside guantanamo, slahi s book would be a triumph of humanity over chaos. Pdf teaching mohamedou ould slahis guantanamo diary in the. Yahdih ould slahi displays redacted passages from the diary of his brother, mohamedou ould slahi, who has been held since 2002 at guantanamo. This week, the bestselling memoir he wrote from prison was rereleased with the u. Apr 30, 20 mohamedou ould slahi voluntarily turned himself in for questioning to police in his native mauritania on nov. Releases mohamedou ould slahi, author of guantanamo diary. Slahi has been at guantanamo, he has never had a single disciplinary infraction.