PRESS RELEASE: It’s Rendition NOT Extradition
CagePrisoners condemns
today’s ruling permitting the extradition of Abu Hamza, Khalid al
Fawwaz, Adel Abdel Bary, Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan to the United
States.
The
men collectively spent four decades without charge in British prisons.
They have never had the opportunity to challenge in any meaningful
manner the allegations made against them.
Today’s
decision marks a dark day for British justice and undermines the rule
of law. It sets an alarming precedent for future cases and renders the
British courts powerless to prevent the extradition of innocent people
under an unbalanced extradition treaty. There are no safeguards for
anyone against the whims of the FBI or CIA ,discredited bodies that have
a well-documented history of oppression , a witch hunt by the media and
the political dictat of the government of the day.
Director of CagePrisoners and former detainee in US custody at Guantanamo Bay and Bagram, Moazzam Begg, commented:
“All
these men are innocent and have already served lengthy periods in
prison. Now they face the prospect of solitary confinement completely
estranged from their families in a country known for perpetrating
torture and inhumane and degrading treatment upon prisoners”
Babar Ahmad today stated:
“Today
I have lost my 8 year and 2 month battle against extradition to the US.
I would like to thank all those over the years who supported me and my
family: lawyers, politicians, journalists and members of the public from
all walks of life. By exposing the fallacy of the UK’s extradition
arrangements with the US, I leave with my head held high having won the
moral victory.”
Amidst
the inhumane hysteria and baiting by some sections of the press
CagePrisoners expresses its solidarity with the families of the men
being extradited today. They have suffered many years of detention and
now their nightmare has taken another horrific twist as they find
themselves handed to a country with a vindictive criminal justice
system.
CagePrisoners
will continue to campaign for the release and repatriation of all
extraditees by working closely with our partners in the United States.
These individuals can never be forgotten. We convened a press
conference in New York yesterday highlighting our concerns about the
fate of these individuals and we will also be holding a public event on
Thursday 18th October 2012 in London. This unique event will uncover the
reality of the United States penal system and hear from a prisoner held
in solitary confinement for 29 years who will provide a first hand
account vividly illustrating the brutality of the super max prison
system.
We
call upon the world to recognise the injustice to these men and demand
their immediate release by contacting the UK Home Secretary in respect
of the British citizens as well as the Egyptian and Saudi Authorities to
protect the rights of their citizens. All citizens are entitled to
basic rights and protection by their own country. It is a devastating
indictment that today all of us wherever we may be are at the mercy of a
country vengeful to punish all that dare to question its policies. The
process may have the label of judicial extradition but it is nothing
more than rendition.
NOTES:
1. CagePrisoners
is a human rights NGO that exists to raise awareness of the plight of
the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other detainees held as part of the
War on Terror. We aim to give a voice to the voiceless.
2. Babar
Ahmad, Syed Talha Ahsan, Abu Hamza, Khalid al-Fawwaz and Abdel Abdel
Bary have been held in British high security prisons for over 40 years
collectively without charge or trial. More information can be found at
the CagePrisoners website: www.cageprisoners.com
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