Daniel Rye

In 2021, Daniel Rye stood face to face with one of his tormentors – Alexanda Kotey – one of the criminals who whipped him while he was held hostage by IS in Syria. Kotey was part of “The Beatles,” a group of brutal terrorists accused of abduction, torture, and executions. Daniel, himself a former hostage, was one of the main witnesses in the U.S. trial.

In this powerful lecture, Daniel shares about life as a hostage, about days without hope, about the moment he was finally freed – and about the struggle to find his way back to life. It is a story of fear, of survival, and of daring to face one’s past – and carrying the scars that remain.

Based on the book “Nærmest fri – min vej ud af mørket” (Almost Free – My Way Out of the Darkness), the lecture is a deeply personal account of losing everything – and searching to rediscover the human being within.