I’ve just finished reading Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s new book, Guantánamo Diary. It is the first book published by a still-detained Guantánamo detainee, and, as one might expect, it is a harrowing read. However, the pages are also full of humor, compassion, and forgiveness, which is somewhat shocking coming from someone who has suffered as much abuse as Slahi has. It seems to perfectly capture the circuitous nature of interrogation of an entire decade and the no-win situations detainees were placed in over and over again, despite any evidence against them. It’s well worth the read, and I encourage you to both purchase it and sign the petition to free its author right away. Below are some excerpts read by Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit, Sherlock, The Imitation Game), Stephen Fry (V for Vendetta, narrator of the Harry Potter book series), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Pride and Prejudice), and Dominic West (The Wire, The Affair), who narrates an 8-minute documentary about the book’s creation.
— Justin
