books review

Bad Men: Guantanamo Bay and the Secret Prisons

Brighton Festival/Clive Stafford Smith

"Guantanamo", according to the man Brighton has to thank for the recent release of Omar Deghayes, "is a diversion". What it is diverting attention from is the chilling fact that there are 27,000 further victims of USA's law-bending policies still held in 'ghost prisons' around the globe – all of whom lack representation. In an interactive debate, Stafford Smith talked with great warmth and humour about his 25 years of representing death row inmates, and the always disturbing and often bizarre experiences of taking on the legality of Guantanamo Bay. As Omar - permanently scarred from years of unlawful imprisonment - joined the panel, one thing became painfully clear: the world needs more people in general – and more lawyers in particular - like Stafford Smith.

Pavilion Theatre, 6 May, 7:30pm, £7.50, fpp 32

tw rating: 5/5

published: Aug-2008

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