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Hooded Men - Britain’s Torture Playbook

In 1971, 14 men were tortured by the British state in NI. They became known as the Hooded Men. For 50 years they fought for the truth – now they want the government to apologise.

1971. Northern Ireland.

Fourteen men are subjected to what the British describe as 'deep interrogation' – but which amounts to a secret torture programme.

The treatment consists of the Five Techniques – white noise; wall-standing; deprivation of food and sleep; and hooding.

They become known as the Hooded Men.

For 50 years they have campaigned for the British state to acknowledge the truth of what happened to them and to apologise.

Their story has ramifications far beyond the UK. The Hooded Men provided a blueprint for some of the most notorious state-sponsored torture in recent years, from Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo Bay.

Through intimate first-hand testimony from the Hooded Men, including access to their legal battle for their treatment to be recognised as torture in the UK’s Supreme Court; interviews with senior members of the British security forces; and declassified government documents, the film reveals the full horror of one of the darkest episodes in British intelligence history.

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57 minutes

Last on

Tue 24 Jan 2023 23:15

Credits

Role Contributor
Director Sam Collyns
Producer Sam Collyns
Director Tom Besley

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