A voice Behind Bars: Between Betrayal and freedom

Only today do I breathe the air without it being torn by the screeching of iron doors. Today, I stepped out of Portugal's dungeons—places that were not mere cold walls, but a stage for an unbearable psychological and physical nightmare. I endured while every passing day tried to break my dignity and strip away my humanity. Though my body survived, my soul still bears scars that will never heal.

How could they forget that I am El Haj Mohamed Msfiwi? How could they forget the fighter who once stood on the front lines, roaring with gunfire and braving death to help liberate Algeria and champion his brothers' cause? I shed my blood and sweat on the battlefield, yet my suffering was not confined to combat; even my old name, 'kukishibo', which I fought under, became a laughingstock and a point of mockery, forcing me to bury it forever and reclaim my prestige and dignity under my new name.

Yet, far more painful than the guards' cruelty or the ridicule of others is the bitter sense of betrayal—that my own country abandoned me at the height of my suffering, offering neither protection nor defense after everything I gave on the front lines. The freedom I hold today remains incomplete, and it will never be whole until justice is served. My claim for compensation is not merely a request for financial settlement; it is a demand for recognition of my sacrifices and the injustice inflicted upon me—a reminder that a veteran’s dignity is neither cheap nor forgotten beyond borders.