UK judges accuse Obama Administration of suppressing torture claim

Hot on the heels of news that Barack Obama grants CIA permission to retain right to carry out renditions (Times, February 2, 2009) comes news that he is standing by a decision to blackmail British justice.

The case relates to Binyam Mohamed who having been questioned by MI5 was passed to the Americans and then held “incommunicado, initially in Pakistan and then at secret and undisclosed locations until May 2004”. He claims he was subjected to “extraordinary rendition to Morocco where torture continued in a severe form”.

He alleges that he was tortured into claiming an involvement with Al-Qaida and plotting terrorist attacks. He was initially charged with terrorist offences, including a dirty bomb plot, although the charges have now been dropped. He has been on hunger strike for much of the past month

The details supporting his case ("seven paragraphs amounting to 25 lines" within a 42 page document) cannot be released because the US government has threatened to withdraw its cooperation with UK intelligence if they are.

Lord Justice Thomas and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones said lawyers for the Foreign Secretary had told them that the threat by the United States still applied under President Barack Obama's Administration.

It was also revealed that Mr Miliband had recently checked and that Barack Obama’s administration was standing by the threat

The judges said: “The suppression of reports of wrongdoing by officials (in circumstances which cannot in any way affect national security) would be inimical to the rule of law and the proper functioning of a democracy. Championing the rule of law, not suppressing it, is the cornerstone of a democracy.”

It was “difficult to conceive that a democratically elected and accountable government could possibly have any rational objection” to releasing the evidence, they said.

UK judges accuse Obama Administration of suppressing torture claim Times, February 4, 2009

US threatens Britain over terrorism 'torture evidence' Telegraph, February 4, 2009

Cleaner's detention exposes divisions between allies Herald, February 4 2009

US threats mean evidence of British resident's Guantánamo torture must stay secret, judges rule Guardian, February 4 2009

[edit on 4-2-2009 by EvilAxis]