8 I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS Passion Islam I June 2009
UK govt faces legal action
over new torture claims
A former civil servant is threatening to during the two years of interrogations,
sue a British minister, saying British he was accused of “masterminding”
security agents colluded in his torture the July 2005 bomb attacks in London,
by Bangladeshi officers who held him which killed 52 people.
as a terrorism suspect, an official “The security and intelligence
said. agencies do not participate in, solicit,
Home Secretary office said it encourage or condone the use of
had received a letter from lawyers torture or inhumane or degrading
for Briton Jamil Rahman, who says treatment “
he was beaten and tortured over Home Office statement Lawyers
two years by intelligence officers in for Rahman have written to the Home
Bangladesh, and British MI5 security Office saying they plan to suen charge
officers ignored the abuse. for complicity in assault, unlawful
Britain launched a criminal arrest, false imprisonment and
investigation in March into whether breaches of human rights.
its secret services were complicit in The Home Office declined to
the torture of British resident, Binyam comment on the specific allegation but
Mohamed, released in February after issued a statement saying the British
nearly seven years in detention in government “unreservedly condemns
Guantanamo Bay. the use of torture as a matter of
Rahman, 31, who was brought up fundamental principle and works
in Britain but settled in Bangladesh in hard with its international partners
2005 after marrying a woman he met to eradicate this abhorrent practice
while travelling there, told the Guardian worldwide.”
newspaper he was arrested along with But human rights group Reprieve,
his wife in December 2005. which campaigned for Binyam
The Guardian news paper reported Mohamed’s release from Guantanamo
that according to his account, which will Bay, said Rahman’s case “provided
form the basis of a legal case against yet more evidence of systemic and
Home Secretary, he was stripped, widespread complicity in torture on
repeatedly beaten and told that his the part of British secret services”.
wife would be raped, murdered and “The only difference between
her body burned. this practice and what happens at
Rahman said two British men who Guantanamo Bay is that this torture
identified themselves as MI5 officers is decentralized and outsourced,”
also questioned him, but would leave said Reprieve spokeswoman Clara
the room while he was beaten. He said Gutteridge.
Photo Shows: Binyam Mohammed
London demo expresses
criticised the lack of attention given
to Gaza just month’s after Israel’s
latest slaughter of over 1,400
solidarity with Gaza
Palestinians.
Israel carried out a ruthless and
organised by the Palestine Solidarity incessant bombardment of Gaza
Campaign (PSC) in conjunction with every day between December 27 last
Stop the War Coalition (STWC), British year and January 19, slaughtering
Muslim Initiative, Palestinian Forum over 1,400 Palestinians, including
in Britain and CND with the support of 314 children.
more than 35 peace groups, political STWC said that Israel is seeking
parties, human rights organisations, to “justify its actions by broadcasting
trade unions, humanitarian charities massive misinformation about the
and faith groups. history of Gaza, its inhabitants and
Speakers at the march to its leaders.”
Demonstrators from all over the Trafalgar Square included several “Most of the media in the UK are
UK converged on London in May to MPs and MEPs as well as Palestinian either too ignorant or too intimidated,”
express solidarity with the continuing representatives from Gaza, the West it said, The world may have forgotten
plight of the Palestinians under Israeli Bank and East Jerusalem among but the mass demonstration proves
besiege in Gaza. many others. that people have not, it added.
The Remember Gaza march was Forum in Britain and CND, passionislam.com
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