The Outlaw Ocean

S2 E3: A team of journalists at gunpoint (Libya Pt. 3)

6 snips
Jun 18, 2025
Pierre Katar, Joe Sexton, and Maya Doles, members of Ian Urbina's reporting team, share harrowing tales of their detention in Libya while investigating migrant abuse. They recount a sudden armed ambush, their experiences in a brutal secret prison, and the psychological trauma they faced. Forced to create a proof-of-life video, they cleverly signal distress despite their circumstances. The conversation highlights the horrific realities faced by migrants and critiques the EU's role in outsourcing border control, reflecting on privilege in the face of systemic injustice.
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ANECDOTE

Team Kidnapped And Detained In Libya

  • Ian Urbina and his team were seized at gunpoint, hooded, beaten, and taken to a secret prison in Tripoli.
  • They endured solitary cells, interrogations accusing them of being CIA, and real fear of being disappeared or killed.
ANECDOTE

Aliou Candé's Fatal Journey

  • Aliou Candé, a young man from Guinea-Bissau, was intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard after nearly 20 hours at sea and jailed in Almobani.
  • He was killed in a prison riot while detained, symbolizing migrant vulnerability in Libya's detention system.
ANECDOTE

Blindfolded Transfer And Filthy Holding Cells

  • Pierre, Joe, and Maya were blindfolded, hooded, and transported to a facility where guards used intimidation tactics like stepping on feet.
  • They shared cramped, filthy cells and encountered degrading conditions similar to those migrants described at Almobani prison.
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