Credit: Ala Buisir (https://www.alabuisir.com/)
Created by – BÉZNĂ Theatre (Sînziana Cojocărescu, Nico Vaccari & Claire Gilbert) and Shala Nyx
Text & Dramaturgy - Sînziana Cojocărescu
Researchers & Dramaturgs – Laura Disley, Inuri Tennakoon, Xhulia Tepshi, Catriona Gotz, Tanmeet Singh, Zuhalhan Kızıltuğ, Nina Prusac, Alice Cropper and Lena Wammer Østgaard
Commissioned writers for testimony – Chris Thorpe, Shala Nyx, Monirah Hashemi, Gulwali Passerlay
Witnesses – Dr Richard Falk, Dr Thomas McManus, Gulwali Passerlay, Monirah Hashemi, Andrew Feinstein, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Moazzam Begg, Asim Qureshi, Arzo Nawbahar, Sahar, Alexandra, Shah, Anonymous British Ambassador, Noor, Anonymous journalist.
Cast – Shala Nyx, Lizzie Clarke, Laura Disley, Sînziana Cojocărescu, Sama Rantisi, iulia isar, Kamran Vahabi, Mathew Wernham, Zuhalhan Kızıltuğ, Nick Biadon, Hasib Mohammad, Hasib Fakhir, Narinder Samra
Panel – Malia Bouattia, Hany Rahimi, Sanaa Alimia
Testimony recording direction & photography – Ala Buisir
Composition – Kareem Samara
Assistant Director – Lora Krasteva
““The windows on the car, they all smashed,” Palestinian actress Sama Rantisi will say, when she powerfully brings Ayshea back to life to give posthumous evidence. “My dad fell on to me, there was a lot of blood and loud gun sounds. I could hear Mum saying ‘Get down’ but then I didn’t hear her anymore. The loudest was a man shouting outside the car. He sounded like the English man from the TV. ‘What are you doing? You shot a family, you shot a family, you shot a family!’ He just kept shouting this, he was scared.””
“Although the War on Terror is 20 years old and it may seem that it has no bearing on your life, we live in a world of connection in which we cannot plead ignorance. We cannot pretend that we do not see the cloud of dust. We cannot pretend that we do not hear the screams. We cannot pretend that we cannot feel the tremors.”
The People’s Tribunal on Crimes of Aggression: Afghanistan Sessions is a durational artistic tribunal built & run by impacted communities. First person testimonies, expert witnesses & physical evidence will be presented through performance in an effort to artistically shift the focus onto the crimes of the UK state & prove that the war in Afghanistan, a war referred to as ‘The Good War’, was a crime of aggression.
It’s a long overdue authentic community-run People’s Tribunal that aims to disrupt the islamophobic narrative, structurally racist pro-empire culture & values of militarism ever present in British society.
You can attend 1 session, a whole day or all 3 days to witness the truth telling. For individuals who don’t feel comfortable presenting their testimony, actors will present their words verbatim. Present will be judges who on the final day will conclude the case and pass their verdict.
Seed commissioned by Camden People’s Theatre, supported by Arts Council England, Shadow World Investigations and International State Crime Initiative.
Tickets are free, but must be booked 09-11 September, Camden People’s Theatre London