Prisoners speaking for themselves: A discussion with Mansoor Adayfi

Former Guantánamo detainee and human rights advocate Mansoor Adayfi joins Monika Mokre from URvG Österreich (Union for Prisoners‘ Rights) for a conversation on solidarity work by and with prisoners. Drawing on Adayfi’s experience of detention at Guantánamo and his ongoing advocacy for imprisoned people, the discussion explores how prisoners can organize across conditions of isolation, build collective resistance, and make their voices heard. The conversation follows the premiere of a documentary about URvG Österreich’s 2024 Wienwoche project „Wir sprechen für uns selbst. Gefangene ergreifen das Wort“ which included an exhibition of artworks and writings by prisoners. Together, Adayfi and Mokre reflect on prisoner-led organizing, international solidarity, and what experiences from Guantánamo can contribute to the struggle for prisoners‘ rights and self-representation in Austria. The discussion was recorded on June 11, 2026, in Fortuna Kino in Vienna. Content note: The discussion addresses experiences of incarceration, violence, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.Prisoners speaking for themselves