THE RULE OF LAW ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
Feroz Ali Abassi
Cageprisoners Caseworker and former Guantánamo detainee
An interview with Feroz Ali Abbasi conducted May 31, 2011, in London, England, by Ronald J. Grele and Kanishk Tharoor for the Columbia Center for Oral History, Rule of Law Oral History Project.
Feroz Ali Abbasi’s work at Cageprisoners focuses on providing legal support, advocacy, and consultation for victims of torture, rendition, and detention without due process around the world. Born in Uganda and a citizen of the United Kingdom, Mr. Abbasi converted to Islam at age eighteen and was in Afghanistan on a religious journey until he was captured by the U.S. military as he was attempting to escape the escalating violence in Kandahar following September 11. He was imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay from January 2002 until his transfer to Britain in 2005. Highlights of this interview include Mr. Abbasi’s early life and conversion to Islam, his travels through Europe and the Middle East, his detention and interrogation experiences at Guantánamo Bay, his resettlement following his release, and his work at Cageprisoners.
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