Confessions of an Innocent Man

In the early 2000s, British-Canadian William Sampson, who was living and working in Saudi Arabia at the time, spent thirty-two months in Saudi captivity charged and convicted for a series of crimes, initially only a car bombing but later more serious crimes such as espionage, none of which he committed. He was one of four foreign detainees, all friends of his, for such crimes at that time. This account of the lead up to his arrest, his captivity, and his life following his release, is told largely by Sampson himself, but also by others who were involved in different aspects of his case and situation. A bit of his personal life is told in providing background as to his nature as a person, which was by no means as of saint. Speculation of why he and his fellow detainees were used as scapegoats is discussed, as well as the conditions for his ultimate release. But it is primarily the abuse and torture he endured, which included rape and being held largely in solitary confinement, and the methods he used to remain as sane as possible under these circumstances, while making his captors lives as difficult as possible, are presented. Through it all, he and many others have harsh words for both the Canadian and British governments, who they felt did not adequately assist in getting him humane conditions for his captivity, getting him released, and providing for a smooth transition back to a "normal" life after his release. —Huggo