Actors for Human Rights: Rendition Monologues in Brighton
WHEN: Wednesday, July 23 @ 7:30pm. WHERE: Sallis Benney Theatre, University of Brighton, 58-64 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 2JY TICKETS: £5 and available on the door. Performance hosted by Brighton Voices in Exile/Brighton Against Guantanamo Campaign and sponsored by University of Brighton's Centre for Applied politics, Philosophy and Ethics (CAPPE)
'You are in a land where there are no laws. Do you know what that means? We can bury you or keep you in this prison for 20 years and nobody on earth would ever know.'
Rendition Monologues weaves together the first-hand testimonies of victims of extraordinary rendition; the kidnapping and illegal transfer of terrorism suspects and others considered to be implicated in the ‘War on Terror’ to be interrogated in nation states with a reputation for torture. A long list of nations, including the UK, have colluded in these rendition flights. As the truth begins to filter out about this issue, we hope that Rendition Monologues can contribute to a full reckoning over human rights abuses committed in the name of the 'War on Terror'.
Speaking about Rendition Monologues, Clive Stafford Smith, Director of Reprieve said:?'If anyone doubts the shocking reality of rendition, they should see this performance. The word 'rendition' sounds innocuous enough, but what it actually means is kidnapping and torture, without any kind of legal process whatsoever. Reprieve’s client, Binyam Mohamed – one of several prisoners whose stories are brought to life in this piece – knows all about rendition’s true face. Sent to Morocco by the Americans, he confessed to all manner of crimes, but only after 18 months of torture, when he repeatedly had his penis cut with a razor.'
Bisher Al-Rawi, ex Gunatanamo prisoner and rendition victim: 'Really, I am almost lost for words. The show was really very moving, scarily so. The performance really brought it home. I was very, very impressed with the performance - it was very powerful.. I was almost living through their experiences and mine as well. I hope everyone here found it as effective and revealing as I did.'
iceandfire creates compelling theatre making real and relevant the impact of human rights issues on our everyday lives. Rendition Monologues is performed by members of their national outreach network, Actors for Human Rights, whose first production Asylum Monologues has been seen by almost 10,000 people all over the UK. Rendition Monologues was launched in June 2008 and is available upon request through Actors for Human Rights. iceandfire.co.uk/afhr
Reprieve uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantánamo Bay. Reprieve investigates, litigates and educates, working on the frontline, to provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves. The organization promotes the rule of law around the world, securing each person’s right to a fair trial and saving lives. Clive Stafford Smith is the founder of Reprieve and has spent 25 years working on behalf of people facing the death penalty in the USA and now represents 35 prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay. www.reprieve.org.uk
Forthcoming Events
