Guantánamo: The Man They Tortured & The Investigator Who Tried to Stop It

One man was tortured at Guantánamo Bay. The other was an American investigator who fought to stop it. Today, they're friends. In this extraordinary episode of True Criminals, Helen Fospero and Martin Brunt speak to Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who spent nearly 15 years imprisoned without charge, and Mark Fallon, the senior US counterterrorism investigator who challenged the government's brutal interrogation programme from within. Mohamedou reveals the horrifying torture he endured, the threats against his mother and the false confession he was driven to make. Mark exposes what was happening behind closed doors, why he challenged his own government, and how torture undermined the pursuit of justice. Their remarkable friendship is explored in the documentary Leaving Hotel California. Two men. Opposite sides of Guantánamo. One extraordinary story of courage, survival and friendship. Content warning: This episode contains discussions of torture, physical and sexual abuse. Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK64eofOxD4 Instagram: @leavinghotelcalifornia https://www.instagram.com/leavinghotelcalifornia/ TikTok: @leavinghotelcalifornia https://www.tiktok.com/@leavinghotelcalifornia Director Chimène de Jonge – Film Information: https://www.chimenedejonge.com/film Official Website: https://www.markfallon.us/ Unjustifiable Means – Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Unjustifiable-Means-Pentagon-Government-Conspired-ebook/dp/B01EG7A6VK Unjustifiable Means – Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unjustifiable-Means-Mark-Fallon/dp/1942872798 Instagram: @clubfed https://www.instagram.com/clubfed/ Facebook: @unjustifiablemeans https://www.facebook.com/UnjustifiableMeans/ X: @glynco Official Website: https://mohamedououldslahi.com/ Guantánamo Diary – Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316328685 Guantánamo Diary – Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guant%C3%A1namo-Diary-Mohamedou-Ould-Slahi/dp/1782112855 Instagram: @mohamedououldsalahi https://www.instagram.com/mohamedououldsalahi/ Facebook: @mohamedououldsalahi https://www.facebook.com/p/Mohamedou-Ould-Salahi-100013967859228/ X: @MohamedouOuld https://x.com/MohamedouOuld Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/truecriminals As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE Instagram: @true.criminals TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast Follow Martin on Twitter at @skymartinbrunt. Discover more about his career and the cases he's covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY Follow Helen on Instagram at @helenfospero and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575 True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Visit https://www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals for more information. Executive Producer: Lee Mann Producer: Russell Barnes Audio Production: BLEACHED Music Composition: BLEACHED Artwork: BLEACHED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices