What is it like to be the mother of a terrorist?

 Jose Padilla with his mother Estela Lebron.

Estela Lebron is one brave woman. Her name doesn't ring a bell for most of us but she is the mother of the famous Jose Padilla, also called the "dirty bomber". Padilla became one of the terrorist suspects after 9/11 and has been sentenced to 17 years in prison.

But unlike most terrorist detainees, Padilla is an American citizen from Puerto-Rican descent. He converted to Islam and eventually married an Egyptian woman. But for Estela Lebron, Jose is her son no matter what.

Estela Lebron.

For a while she stayed away from public coverage. But this determined woman has now decided to fight back for her son who evidence proves that he has been tortured while detained in U.S. prisons. I edited this video for the organization PEN-American Center. It was shown during a conference on torture in prisons.