An inspiring true story about an American attorney and his client confronting prejudice and persecution in a prison outside the law, as one fights for the other’s freedom, and the other fights for his life.

“We’ll be watching,” the sergeant said, pointing at a video monitor inside Camp Echo’s guard booth. “For your protection.”

In 2004, attorney Joshua Colangelo-Bryan arrived at Guantanamo Bay to meet Jaber Mohammed, one of six Bahraini detainees his firm had agreed to represent. Colangelo-Bryan had heard these men were “among the most dangerous, best-trained, vicious killers on the face of the earth,” as Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld put it. Colangelo-Bryan didn’t buy the rhetoric, but did find himself wondering if he was about to meet a killer.

Far from being threatening, though, Mohammed welcomed Colangelo-Bryan, even as his ankle was shackled to the floor. Why was Mohammed there? Was he guilty of a crime? These were among the questions Colangelo-Bryan had to answer. Surprisingly, the two spoke for hours about their lives. Mohammed also detailed the inhumane conditions at the prison, including abuse by guards and solitary confinement.

A friendship grew over time, as Colangelo-Bryan worked to bring justice to Mohammed. The Bush administration claimed any “enemy combatant” could be held in Guantanamo forever without a trial, and it became clear that litigation was unlikely to free the Bahrainis. And so, as Mohammed lost hope, Colangelo-Bryan devised a plan to leverage the media and pressure the Bahraini government to negotiate for the release of its citizens. Colangelo- Bryan’s long fight for the Bahrainis was ultimately successful, and in 2007, after several suicide attempts, Mohammed was freed.

Through the Gates of Hell is a powerful account of an unlikely friendship and what it takes to fight for human rights in the post–9/11 era.

Joshua Colangelo-Bryan is Special Counsel at Human Rights First, where he spearheads innovative impact litigation and advocacy efforts to advance international human rights, uphold democratic principles, and support defenders of human rights globally. For over 20 years, his practice has focused on human rights, civil rights, and national security matters, including representing six now-released Guantanamo Bay detainees and serving as counsel to peaceful protestors who were attacked in 2017 by Turkish security agents in Washington, D.C. He also conducts human rights investigations in countries such as Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain, and defends parties named in Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, including clients advocating for Palestinian rights and religious pluralism in India. Josh previously served with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, working on the prosecution of war crimes cases and serving as a liaison to Yugoslav and Serbian officials.

Uzra Zeya joined Human Rights First (HRF) as President and CEO in April 2025.  In this role, she leads HRF efforts to advance human rights for all, defend democracy at home and abroad, uphold the rule of law, and protect vulnerable populations fleeing oppression. 

As U.S. Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights from July 2021 to January 2025, she led global U.S. diplomacy to advance human rights, strengthen rule of law, support refugees, elevate the fight against corruption, and combat transnational crime and human trafficking from 2021-25. Concurrently, she was U.S. special coordinator for Tibetan issues, rallying international partners to support Tibetans’ human rights and preserve their unique identity.

 As president and CEO of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, she led a non-partisan network of 150+ organizations working on peaceful conflict resolution in 180+ countries. Her distinguished diplomatic career included senior roles at U.S. embassies in France and India, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and advising Secretaries of State Rice and Clinton. She also served in Syria, Egypt, Oman, and Jamaica, and speaks French, Arabic, and Spanish.

Zeya co-authored a 2021 Council on Foreign Relations report that shaped State Department modernization. She is on the University of Notre Dame Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies Board of Advisors. She was awarded the French Legion d’Honneur and the Cross of Commander of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas in recognition of her contributions to a more just and peaceful world.

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