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The Somali prisoner, the secret language and the life-saving book

Mohamed Barud was losing hope in a Somali prison, when his neighbour devised a secret language and tapped out the Russian novel Anna Karenina through his cell wall.

Mohamed Barud was losing hope in a Somali prison, when an inmate in a neighbouring cell devised a secret language and tapped out the Russian novel Anna Karenina through his wall... for Mohamed, the book was transformative. He tells his story to Emily Webb.

Mohamed wrote a book about his experience called The Mourning Tree.

If you're affected by issues raised in the programme, you can find information about support available at bbc.co.uk/actionline or befrienders.org

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Picture: Mohamed Barud and a copy of Anna Karenina
Credit: Courtesy of Mohamed Barud, JannHuizenga via Getty Images

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41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Mon 11 Oct 202111:06GMT
  • Mon 11 Oct 202117:06GMT
  • Tue 12 Oct 202102:06GMT

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