IV. The Mauritanian - Un Événement Privé
The Mauritanian – a private screening
As an intern at IBJ, I was invited to a private movie screening, which turned out to be quite an unforgettable experience. We were invited to see The Mauritanian by a lawyer portrayed in the film. The movie is about a man named Mohamedou Ould Slahi who was falsely accused by the US government under the Bush administration of helping to orchestrate 9/11. His defense lawyer was a woman named Nancy Hollander, played by Jodie Foster. Also in the film was a character named Stuart Couch, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, a prosecutor for the government assigned to Mohamedou’s case and who sought the death penalty. Once Couch discovered Mohamedou only confessed after days of prolonged torture and violence at the hands of the government investigators, he resigned. Despite there being no evidence supporting the allegations against Mohamedou, the prosecutor that replaced Couch not only proceeded to trial, but when the government lost, they appealed. There was a moment of irony in the film when it discussed how the Obama administration simultaneously claimed to want to end Guantanamo Bay due to its inhumane nature, but also appealed Mohamedou’s case. The appeal prolonged Mohamedou’s unethical and inhumane detention by years, adding up to 14 years in total that he spent in Guantanamo Bay illegally.
Nancy Hollander is an advisory board member of IBJ and was the person that personally invited all of IBJ’s staff to the private showing of the film. Before I knew of her career, I casually talked with her about her time as a public defender in the US during IBJ’s board meeting. Nancy, Mohamedou, and even Stuart Couch were present at the showing of the film. The film was preceded by an introduction proclaiming that this was the first time the three of these people had all been in the same room together. Obviously, Nancy and Mohamedou had met many times before, and in fact referred to each other as friends. Following the film, the three distinguished guests answered audience questions regarding their stories. The emcee of the event made quite a point by saying that this story happened at the hands of the US government in violation of the Geneva Convention, so it was symbolic to have this rendezvous in Geneva. It was also not possible for this to happen in the US because Mohamedou is not permitted to enter the country, which is absurd.
What inspired me the most from the event was that despite all of the vitriol and hate that Mohamedou faced, his charisma, love of life, and aspiration of freedom and self preservation transcended any ill will he had for anyone involved in his nightmare-ish story. Quite a shocking moment occurred when Mr. Couch admitted to still being in support of the death penalty, despite witnessing first-hand and even playing a part in the illegal and inhumane detention of Mohamedou. Following Mr. Couch’s comment, Mohamedou rightfully and respectfully disagreed. The main reason for him opposing the death penalty was due to the possibility of error. Mohamedou discussed the government’s burden of only proving the crime happened “beyond a reasonable doubt.” But doubt can still exist, thus leaving significant room for error. He used George Stinney Jr.’s story to illustrate his point. George was a child sentenced to death in the 1940s and was exonerated in 2014, despite being found guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt."
Another important point that Mohamedou raised was why abolishing “terrorism” as a crime is important. Acts that are considered terrorism have consequences that can already be prosecuted, but by proclaiming them an act of terrorism, the government has the ability to detain people illegally, torture them, withhold due process, suppress evidence, and worse. The US government was able to withhold Mohamedou’s due process rights because they labeled him a terrorist. Mohamedou’s story outlined the power of the US government to make someone disappear when they are suspected of terrorism. The only reason he received any help was because Mohamedou’s family had not heard from him in months. They found a French lawyer who believed Mohamedou was likely detained by the US. The French lawyer brought this information to his colleague, Nancy Hollander, who had top secret security clearance with the US government and was able to find out that Mohamedou was being held in Guantanamo Bay. It is horrifying to think about what would have happened if no one was able to uncover the truth.
Following the film, there was an outdoor reception with complimentary wine, champagne, snacks, and mingling. All of the IBJ interns were able to meet Mohamedou and speak to him briefly. He rightfully jested about not trusting any of the American interns. Though it was tongue in cheek, we all knew he had plenty of reason to distrust Americans, especially those seeking legal careers from American institutions. We learned that to this day, he is not allowed to obtain a travel VISA to the US, and in fact, the US government asked his home country to not issue him a passport, despite the wrongs that he has already faced and endured at the hands and fault of the US government.
Another point of interest that I noticed relates to the work IBJ does. IBJ seeks to help those that are held illegally, inhumanely, or experience state sanctioned torture in places that are deemed as “developing countries.” The interesting part in this is that the exact thing IBJ seeks to prevent internationally in fact happens in the US, “land of the free.” I do not mean to downplay the important work that IBJ does by helping to fund, facilitate, and support projects around the world, but part of my interest in human rights work is on the ground in the US. Just because America is viewed as a global superpower, does not mean that it is better than other countries. People are still detained inhumanely by the government. The prison industrial complex in the US is itself inhumane. When seeking justice for human rights abuses, it is vital to remember that they occur in the US every day. There are still people held inhumanely in Guantanamo Bay.