In this enriching conversation, Gurnaaz Kaur engages with Ms. Nancy Hollander, an internationally recognised American criminal defence lawyer and human rights activist, best known for representing two detainees from Guantanamo Bay for being allegedly involved in the 9/11 attack. She was portrayed by actress Jodie Foster in the 2021 film The Mauritanian about the case of her client Mohamedou Ould Slahi. She won Ms. Manning’s release in 2017 when President Obama commuted her sentence, as for more than four decades she has been representing individuals involved in national security issues.

This episode dwells into the intricacies of the case of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, the detainee captured for his alleged involvement in the 9/11 attacks and Al Qaeda as he was held captive for 14 years without charge. We discuss the repercussions of the Guantanamo Bay prison on US Foreign Relations and its impact on diplomatic relations along with the horrifying human right violations taking place at the conflict arena. Ms. Hollander imparts her expert views on global security and counterterrorism effects.