10:51am Friday 31st March 2006
By Yvonne Gordon
Home secretary Jack Straw has agreed to make representations to the US to free a New Malden resident held at Guantanamo Bay as fresh claims emerged that the British security service played a key role in putting him there.
Flight details sent to US authorities by British agents allowed Bisher al-Rawi to be arrested in Gambia, the BBC's Newsnight programme claimed this week.
The UK Government has always said it opposes "extraordinary rendition" secret flights taking terror suspects for interrogation in other countries and the Foreign Office denies requesting the men's detention.
It is claimed Mr al-Rawi and ananother detainee Jamil al-Banna were arrested at Gatwick airport in November 2002 and then released to continue their business trip to Gambia, west Africa.
British intelligence sent the US authorities a telegram giving the men's flight details and saying they were associates of radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada but added it should "not be used as the basis for overt or covert action".
But the men were arrested at the airport in the Gambian capital, Banjul, along with Mr al-Rawi's brother Wahab, a British citizen, who was later released.
Their lawyer Brent Mickum said: "They were taken out in chains and hooded... to separate rooms, where there were seven or eight individuals, all of whom were dressed completely in black and wearing black masks."
Mr al-Rawi, 38, lived in the UK for over 20 years with "indefinite leave to remain", before being held at Guantanamo Bay, where he remains captive. The Foreign Office previously refused to act on his behalf because he is not a British citizen.
But last Wednesday (March 22) day one of a judicial review at the Royal Courts of Justice sought by Mr al-Rawi's lawyers Mr Straw agreed to intervene.
Kingston Amnesty, which demonstrated outside the courts, handed out leaflets on their campaign, Bring Bisher Home, in New Malden High Street on Saturday.
Edward Davey, the MP for Surbiton and Kingston, said: "We will work together and keep the pressure up for Bisher and the other prisoners until we succeed.
"Now the Foreign Office has been dragged kicking and screaming to make the representations for Bisher, which they should have done three years ago, there is a prospect the US may at last budge.
"It's clear that the British Government did not want their involvement in the illegal arrest and detention of Bisher to come out in court, especially the fact that Bisher had been helping the British secret services in liaising with a key suspect.
"I will continue to pursue justice for Bisher on behalf of his family and challenge the British and American governments to either charge Bisher with a crime or release him. "
Kingston Amnesty's secretary, Ash Stanbrook, said: "Only last week, the Foreign Office was saying any intervention would be "ineffective and counter-productive.
"However, now Jack Straw has agreed to intervene on Bisher's behalf rather than have to reveal the true extent of the UK Government's involvement in his ordeal.
"There is strong evidence Bisher was working for MI5 as a go-between for them with Abu Qatada. But M15 agents were not allowed to validate this."
Zachary Katznelson, senior lawyer at Reprieve, which represents Mr al-Rawi, said: "The only allegation against Bisher was his connection with Abu Qatada a relationship he maintained purely because he wanted to help MI5 and with their permission. The UK Government has finally come clean and recognised its responsibility to him."
To support the local Amnesty campaign call 07931 888279.
ygordon@london.newsquest.co.uk
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/trade_directory/