Who Is Mohamedou Ould Slahi?
Mohamedou Ould Slahi was a permanent resident of Canada residing in Montreal who was held without trial and tortured at Guantanamo Bay.
He was accused of planning the 9/11 attacks and was held at the detention center for 14 years without prosecution until being released in 2016.
His story is narrated in the drama, The Mauritanian, played by Tahar Rahim.
Slahi was seized in Mauritania three months after the 9/11 attacks and jailed in Jordan and Afghanistan. He was then transported to Guantánamo in August 2002, where he endured 70 days of rigorous torture and three years of 18-hour-a-day questioning.
Our client Mohamedou Ould Slahi was detained without charge and tortured at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years. Before that, he was a Canadian permanent resident living in Montreal. We allege Canadian complicity in his tragic ordeal & seek accountability.
— Louis Century
Story:
Slahi authored a book while still in jail in 2005, which was released in 2015 as 'Guantánamo Diary". The memoir went on to become an international bestseller and inspired the 2021 film.
Slahi was ultimately freed by the US in 2016, and he now lives in his home country of Mauritania.
Officials suspected Slahi of having ties to terrorism at the time of his arrest in 2002. He was spotted worshiping at the same Montreal mosque as the attempted "Millennium bomber," Ahmed Ressam.
Slahi also stated that he had been to Afghanistan twice in the early 1990s to fight against the Soviet-backed Afghan government.
When US interrogators suspected Slahi of being a member of al-Qaeda, they used "advanced interrogation methods," which are now deemed torture.
"The torment eventually broke him down, according to CBC news. Slahi began to confess to the lies told to him by his interrogators.
"The claim statement is as follows: One of the fake confessions was a conspiracy to blow up Toronto's CN Tower, which Slahi said he had never heard about."
Mohamedou Ould Slahi And Guantanamo Bay Canadian Scandal
Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a victim of Guantanamo Bay false imprisonment is suing the Canadian government for $35 million. He filed a lawsuit against Canada for its alleged part in the events leading up to his detention, during which he was tortured.
On Friday, a statement of claim was filed in the Federal Court of Canada on behalf of Mohamedou Ould Slahi. The statement claimed that "Canadian officials "caused, contributed to, and prolonged incarceration, torture, assault, and sexual assault at Guantanamo Bay."
He was a Mauritanian citizen who was examined by security services in Montreal from November 1999 until January 2000. Slahi claims that Canadian officials harassed him during their inquiry, compelling him to return to Mauritania.
The essence of Slahi's argument is that Canadian officials provided false information about his actions and otherwise contributed to the circumstances that led to his detention.
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"Canada's dissemination of flawed intelligence produced a violent echo chamber," according to the claim statement. The suit was originally reported on Saturday by the Toronto Star.
The Attorney General of Canada has yet to respond to the claims leveled against CSIS and the RCMP.
"The fact is that Mr. Mohamedou was in danger in part because he happened to be praying at a mosque.
He happened to be in the wrong location at the wrong time and happened to fall under the observation of the Canadian state," Farooq, head of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said over the phone.
Mohamedou Ould Slahi, A Canadian Detainee In Guantanamo Bay- Net Worth
Mohamedou Ould Slahi and his torture in Guantanamo Bay are explained in the drama "The Mauritanian". According to Wikipedia, STXfilms released The Mauritanian in the United States on February 12, 2021.
The film garnered two nominations at the 78th Golden Globe Awards, namely Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture.
Similarly, the movie garnered five nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, Outstanding British Film, and Best Actor (for Rahim).
Ex-Guantanamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi sues Canada over 14-year detention
— The Globe and Mail
Slahi may have earned a large part of the revenue from the hit movie. His net worth as of 2022 is estimated to be $50, 000 which came from his books and other business he is involved with.
Slahi was the son of a camel herder from Mauritania and was living in Germany since 1988 as he won a scholarship to study engineering there.
His life was flipped upside down for the first time in 1991 as a result of events in faraway Afghanistan, where the latter years of the Cold War were being played out.
That year, Slahi traveled to Afghanistan to join the Mujahideen, whom the US and the UK were actively backing. They were planning to undermine the Soviet Union-backed government of Afghanistan's communist dictator, Mohammad Najibullah.
According to Indian Express, Slahi trained at an Al Qaeda camp, one of the numerous organizations promoted by the West as "freedom warriors" at the time.
He subsequently left for Germany, but returned in 1992 and stayed until the Najibullah administration was overthrown.
Slahi's problems came towards the end of the decade when ties between the West and Al Qaeda deteriorated. Two $4000 deals Slahi provided to a Mauritanian relative between 1997 and 1998 proved disastrous.
This cousin was Mahfouz Ould al-Walid, an Osama bin Laden close associate who wanted to transfer money to his family back home. Slahi fled to Canada in 1999 when Germany declined to extend his visa.
He was subsequently convicted for his part in the thwarted assault on Los Angeles International Airport while living in Montreal. The US, which was aware of Slahi's relationship with al-Walid, suspected him of involvement in the conspiracy, and Canadian intelligence maintained an eye on him.
