Mohamedou Ould Slahi - "The Mauritanian"

Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Arabic: محمدو ولد الصلاحي) is a Mauritanian who was detained without charge at Guantanamo Bay from 2002 to 2016. He was tortured during his detention. Born on December 31, 1970, in Roseau, Mauritania, he studied in Germany on a scholarship and graduated with an engineering degree from the University of Duisburg. In the early 1990s, he spent time in an al-Qaeda training camp and fought in Afghanistan on the side of the United States against the communist government. He then returned to Germany and tried to find work in Canada. In 2000, he returned to Mauritania. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. intelligence agencies again targeted Slahi. He was captured in Mauritania and transferred to Jordan, where he was interrogated for eight months. He was then taken to Afghanistan and, on August 4, 2002, to Guantanamo Bay. At Guantanamo, Slahi was tortured: He was subjected to sleep deprivation, isolation, extreme temperatures, beatings, and sexual humiliation. In one incident, he was blindfolded and taken out to sea on a boat in a mock execution. According to his lawyer, Nancy Hollander, then-US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld personally ordered the use of "special interrogation techniques" against Slahi. Slahi was detained at Guantanamo Bay until October 17, 2016, having spent over 14 years there. After his release, he returned to Mauritania. In 2022, Slahi filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government. He claimed that faulty intelligence from Canadian authorities contributed to his detention in 2002. He sought $35 million in compensation. While imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Slahi learned English and handwritten a 466-page diary—"The Guantanamo Diary." His lawyers gave the manuscript to journalist Larry Sims, who edited the book. The memoir was published in 2015 while Slahi was still being held without charge. It was the first work by a Guantanamo detainee to be published. A restored, uncensored version was released in 2017. "The Guantanamo Diary" became an international bestseller and later served as the basis for the 2021 film "The Mauritanian

." Since his release, Slahi has been active as a human rights activist and speaker. He gives lectures on inner leadership, civic courage, and the importance of communication in difficult situations.