UNIVERSITÄT ZU KÖLN

State Force, Prison and Torture: The Afterlives of Political Imprisonment in the MENA

In this workshop, participants discussed how detention and torture of political prisoners in countries of the Middle East and North Africa have been perceived as a socio-politically destructive force and key institution of the authoritarian state. With particular focus on Egypt and Syria, the workshop participants asked for the ways, experiences of imprisonment, its emplotment and representations have shaped and determined perceptions of society, state and self. In what ways do coping strategies, narratives, and accounts – of both life in prison and afterwards – by leftist and secular prisoners differ from those written by Islamist prisoners?

International Workshop at UoC // 11-13 November, 2020 // was organized by Stephan Milich (Institute of Oriental Studies, funded by CA IV/GSSC) as well as Monika Borgmann, Lokman Slim and Mina Ibrahim (MENA PRISON  FORUM/ UMAM Documentation & Research, Beirut)

For more information please contact Stephan Milich: smilichuni-koeln.de