logo
episode-header-image
May 2021
23m 26s

Mohamedou Ould Slahi: What is the Guanta...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Stephen Sackur interviews Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian citizen who was once identified as a high value al-Qaeda terrorist, serving 14 years in America’s Guantanamo Bay prison. He was eventually released without charge, and now a film, The Mauritanian, has been released telling this remarkable story. What is the Guantanamo Bay legacy?

(Photo: Mohamedou Ould Slahi appears via videolink on Hardtalk)

Up next
Oct 30
Brad Smith, Microsoft President: Washing machines are better-regulated than AI
Right now, your washing machine is subject to more safety rules than AI. Every carton of milk that you see in the grocery store is subject to safety rules and inspection. Or think about the aeroplanes we get on - you can get on a plane in London, you can fly to Athens or New York ... Show More
24m 15s
Oct 28
Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor: There’s a vacuum in Israeli media
Rebecca Kesby speaks to Israeli film-makers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. Abraham and Szor gained international attention last year with their self-distributed film, No Other Land, made in collaboration with two Palestinian film-makers. The film, which won the 2025 Academy Award ... Show More
23 m
Oct 26
Navanetham ‘Navi' Pillay, 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner
“When we suffered under apartheid, those were immoral laws, they institutionalised racism. Where could we go for relief? And I yearned for a better system of law based on values.” Waihiga Mwaura talks to Navanetham or 'Navi' Pillay who has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. ... Show More
22m 59s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2021
'The Mauritanian,' Canada, and torture at Gitmo
Mohamedou Salahi was detained in Guantanamo Bay for 14 years without charge. He was considered one of its most tortured prisoners. The new Hollywood film “The Mauritanian” portrays his detention and his fight for freedom, but does not touch on Canada’s connection to what happened ... Show More
23m 47s
Apr 2021
In Conversation with Mohamedou Slahi - the most tortured man in Guantanamo Bay
Mohamedou Slahi’s period of unlawful detention in Guantanamo Bey has recently been portrayed in the film ‘The Mauritanian’. His resilience and sense of human dignity comes through in the movie. In this episode, we reached out to Mohamedou to find out about his fortitude, what gav ... Show More
46m 59s
May 2021
Surviving 14 Years In Guantanamo Bay - Mohamedou Ould Slahi - #322
Mohamedou Ould Slahi is the subject of the film The Mauritanian and has been called "the most tortured man in Guantanamo Bay". Mohamedou lived for 14 years in Guantanamo Bay, was subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques, otherwise known as torture, was sexually assaulted by ... Show More
1h 30m
Apr 2021
The Mauritanian with Moazzam Begg
If you want to see a film that simultaneously depicts the horrors of man’s excessive barbarism but also the indominable spirit of human resilience, you have to watch The Mauritanian. Set in the legally dubious post-9/11 world, it tells the gripping story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi a ... Show More
44m 25s
Dec 2021
Life After Guantánamo: “It Doesn’t Leave You”
On Tuesday, with 39 men remaining at Guantánamo Bay, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on closing the infamous military prison. This week on Intercepted: Intercept photo editor Elise Swain breaks down the horrifying story of one Yemeni man after being released from Gu ... Show More
24m 8s
Feb 2021
Amanpour: Nadhim Zahawi, Ran Balicer, Mohamedou Ould Slahi, Steve Wood, Kevin Macdonald and Kurt Bardella
Nadhim Zahawi, UK Vaccines Minister, and Ran Balicer, Chair of Israel's Covid-19 National Experts Panel discuss the successful vaccine rollout schemes in their countries. Mohamedou Ould Slahi, former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Steve Wood, a former guard at the detention camp, and d ... Show More
57m 19s