DeepSummary
Moazzam Begg, a former detainee at the US military prisons in Bagram, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, returns to Afghanistan for the first time since his imprisonment over 20 years ago. He recounts the horrific torture and abuse he witnessed at Bagram, where he was held without charge or trial for nearly a year. Begg shares harrowing details of physical, sexual, and psychological torture he endured, including being threatened with extraordinary rendition and hearing a woman screaming, which he was led to believe was his wife.
Begg's return to Bagram brings back traumatic memories, especially the killing of a prisoner trying to escape and the death of a taxi driver left hanging by his arms for days. Despite his experience, Begg has dedicated himself to advocating for prisoners still held without trial, including the last Afghan detainee in Guantanamo, Mohammed Rahim Al Afghani. Begg meets with Rahim's family and other former detainees in Afghanistan, some of whom now hold positions in the Taliban government.
The episode explores the lasting impact of the US "war on terror" and the detention of thousands of Afghans without due process. Begg reflects on the irony of being imprisoned by a nation that champions democracy and human rights, and expresses skepticism about ever achieving true justice for the crimes committed against detainees.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Moazzam Begg witnessed horrific torture and human rights abuses during his detention at the US military prison in Bagram, Afghanistan.
- Begg now advocates for prisoners still held without charge or trial, like the last Afghan detainee in Guantanamo, Mohammed Rahim Al Afghani.
- The US 'war on terror' led to the unlawful detention and abuse of thousands of Afghans at prisons like Bagram and Guantanamo Bay.
- Despite legal efforts, those responsible for torture and abuse of detainees have largely avoided accountability or prosecution.
- Some former Guantanamo detainees now hold positions in the Taliban government in Afghanistan, forming an unlikely 'club' of survivors.
- Begg's return to Bagram brought back traumatic memories but also a determination to uncover the full truth about crimes committed there.
- The experience of imprisonment without charge by a nation claiming to uphold democracy and human rights is an immense irony for former detainees.
- Achieving justice and accountability for torture remains an elusive goal over 20 years after the 'war on terror' began.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I returned essentially to a scene of a crime, and I think those crimes have still not been uncovered fully.“ by Moaz M. Beg
- “I saw the american soldiers beat to death a prisoner who was trying to escape from the next cell. To me, that was the first. The second was what I later learned was a taxi driver called Delawar. And he was tied, his hands were tied to the top of the door of the cage, the airlock area, where he'd been held for several days, and was left like this, with a hood over his head until his body slumped.“ by Moaz M. Beg
- “It's a club not of our making. It's a club that was hoisted upon us and thrust upon us. And therefore now there's only about 800 people, or 779, to be exact, in the whole world who have been imprisoned in Guantanamo. So it's automatically a very exclusive club. There's a common experience, a shared experience, and the primary experience is that you were held without charge or trial by the world's most powerful advocate of democracy and human rights, which is the greatest irony.“ by Moaz M. Beg
Entities
Organization
Location
Person
Episode Information
The Take
Al Jazeera
7/3/24
Thousands of people were imprisoned for years without charge or trial by the United States during its so-called “war on terror”. Moazzam Begg was one of them. For the first time since he was detained more than 20 years ago, Begg returns with Al Jazeera to the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where he witnessed terrible abuses that continue to haunt him.
In this episode:
- Moazzam Begg (@Moazzam_Begg), Former Bagram and Guantanamo Detainee
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and Zaina Badr with Khaled Soltan, Chloe K. Li and our host Malika Bilal.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
Watch the full film ‘Echoes of Bagram’ by Al Jazeera Witness here: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/witness/2024/2/12/echoes-of-bagram-moazzam-begg-returns-to-afghanistan
With special thanks to Horia El Hadad and Michael McEvoy.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube