2021
Speakers: Reality Winner, Billie Winner-Davis, Sonia Kennebeck, John Kiriakou
Title: United States vs. Reality Winner
Photo: From #DNL25 Whistleblowing for Change: Exposing Systems of Power & Injustice: , November 26–28, 2021
Q&A after the screening of the german premiere of United States vs. Reality Winner by Sonja Kennebeck.
With Reality Winner (NSA Whistleblower, US), Billie Winner-Davis (Former Social Worker, mother of Reality and Brittany Winner, US), Sonia Kennebeck (Film Director, MY/DE/US), John Kiriakou (Former CIA Officer & Anti-torture Whistleblower, US). Moderated by Anna Myers (Executive Director, Whistleblowing International Network, UK).
The screening of “UNITED STATES VS. REALITY WINNER” is followed by a panel conversation with the film director, Sonia Kennebeck, and some of the protagonists of the film: Billie Winner-Davis, mother of Reality Winner and Brittany Winner, and author of the opening chapter of the anthology Whistleblowing for Change, which provides a narrative of her journey alongside her daughter, after Reality Winner’s arrest and prosecution by the United States Department of Justice under Trump; John Kiriakou, former CIA Officer & anti-torture whistleblower, who in the book tells the story of when, in a crisis of conscience, decided to go public with what he believed were his Agency’s crimes against humanity, and after his capture of Abu Zubaydah, thought to be al-Qaeda’s number three, subjected to unspeakable torture at the hands of Kiriakou’s colleagues. The conversation is moderated by Anna Myers, executive director of Whistleblowing International Network (WIN), who also writes in the anthology on her own experiences working at a non-profit legal advice centre dedicated to public interest whistleblowing.