Guantanamo Diary

Sleep deprivation, constant noise, death threats: Mohamedou Slahi's confession was extorted under torture. He is one of the main suspects of September 11. Although a court ordered his release in 2010, he remained incarcerated until the end of 2016. His poignant account is the only known chronicle of a Guantanamo prisoner written during his detention.

Slahi's captivity documents nearly a decade of struggle against global terrorism. Donald Rumsfeld, familiar with Slahi's file, authorized authorities to subject the alleged Al-Qaeda conspirator to intense interrogations, including the use of torture. In 2005, Slahi began to tell his story. Emotional yet striving for fairness, he recounts his abductions by intelligence agencies, the torture he endured, and his encounters with his tormentors, as well as with people who reached out to him. This is the first report from a Guantanamo prisoner, whose official release was achieved through years of legal efforts.