Nat Geo’s critically acclaimed series, Locked Up Abroad focuses on two men working in Iraq just before the first Gulf War and being imprisoned in one of the country’s most infamous prisons. It’s not pretty. We have a synopsis and two videos from tonight’s program.
LOCKED UP ABROAD: SADDAM’S IRAQWednesday, July 7 at 10pm ET/PT“This place was hell on earth … We had no idea whether we were gonna come out of this alive.” – Tom LynchREENACTMENT: John White and Tom Lynch (Actors) held at gunpoint by Iraqi soldiers. The two men were then driven in convoy to an underground complex and handed over to the Mukhabarat, Saddam’s infamous secret police force, experts in torture and famed for their brutality. (Photo credit: © Raw Television)When Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 and a wider war seemed inevitable, Tom Lynch and his fellow contractors working on an oil field in Iraq decided they had to get out while they still could. Tom and a co-worker took off on a perilous journey across the desert to the Syrian border. Running dangerously low on gas and drinking water, they finally spotted signs of what they believed was Syrian habitation. But joy soon turned sour as Iraqi military vehicles tore toward them. The men were driven in convoy to a military complex and handed over to Saddam’s secret police force, infamous for torture and brutality. They were taken to a notorious prison in Baghdad and listened to fellow inmates being tortured to death. But their two-month-long nightmare was far from over.Video “Awaiting Brutal Torture” – After a failed escape attempt, two men are taken to a notorious prison where fellow inmates can be heard being tortured to death.
Video “Escape From Certain Death” – After a 2-month long nightmare, Tom and John are released from a torturous prison in Baghdad, and reunited with their families.
Locked Up Abroad airs on National Geographic Channel tonight at 10 Eastern.
