Why music gave me a lifeline in prison

When Steven Gatkuoth attempted to flee Libya for the seventh time in two years, he was returned to north African soil nursing two bullet wounds that left him limping for a year. “They were aiming to kill. I was lucky as they only got me right in my upper thigh,” the 23-year-old told Times of Malta “Following that pushback, I spent a year in prison, where I was beaten up and had no good food or water. I saw people around me despair. Not knowing when I’d be let out, I spent my time writing 36 songs, which I’m working on releasing now.” Steven is a survivor of the Nivin vessel pushback. In November 2018, together with another 92 asylum seekers, he was forcefully returned to the war-torn country after having been rescued by the Panama registered merchant ship. Human rights activists consider such pushbacks as a violation of non-refoulement rules established under international and migration law. On his eighth attempt to escape the terror in Libya, Steven was rescued and brought to Malta, where he was placed in detention until Aditus foundation succeeded in fighting for his release. But once again, he did not allow detention to dampen his creativity. While in detention he used his...