DAY 1,213Michael "Travis" Leake · American citizen · U.S. Air Force veteran
Myth vs. record
Did Travis Leake confess?
Myth
He confessed.
Record
He signed a statement on June 7, 2023, with no lawyer present, before any formal record of his detention was made. He withdrew it in writing.
The statement was taken by the lead operative through a student interpreter appointed that day, in the 43 hours between his recorded detention and the formal detention record. He withdrew it on September 28, 2023, and complained that he had been forced to plead guilty and deprived of food and sleep.
Source: Court file, Vol. 1, l.d. 133-134, 142-143; Vol. 3, l.d. 38-41.
Finding 03: A statement before any detention record →
Cite this
Free Travis Leake, "Myth vs. record: Did Travis Leake confess?," https://freetravisleake.com/fact-check/confession/, updated September 30, 2026.