Reply #1: Abused by America, betrayed by Britain [View All]

[struggle4progress]

Friday, 30 May 2008

... Mr Mohamed was arrested by Pakistani immigration officials at Karachi airport in 2002 on his way back to Britain. He was sent first to Afghanistan, then to a prison in Morocco for 18 months, before finally being transferred to Cuba. Mr Mohammed has been in Guantanamo for more than four years now. During that time, he has taken part in a hunger strike. More recently, he has exhibited signs of mental disturbance and suicidal depression. A letter by Mr Mohamed will be delivered to Downing Street today, pleading for the Government to petition for his release.

But the US government has other plans for Mr Mohamed. The American military claims he received firearms and explosives training alongside the shoe-bomber Richard Reid in Afghanistan, and that he planned to blow up a US residential block. Mr Mohamed's lawyers expect him to be brought before one of Guantanamo's special military commissions very soon. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Yet these charges are likely to be based on evidence acquired through torture. Mr Mohamed claims he was beaten, scalded and had his genitals slashed with a scalpel while imprisoned in Morocco. Any confession induced through such methods ought to be inadmissible. If the US is determined to put Mr Mohamed on trial, it needs to be done in a proper court, not one of these deeply questionable tribunals.

Consider their deficiencies. Mr Mohamed's defence lawyer will be appointed by the military. And his legal representative will have only limited access to the evidence against the defendant. Meanwhile, the standard of proof required for conviction will be much lower than in any normal court. The judge will even accept evidence collected though "coercion". This does not even come close to being a fair trial ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-abused-by-america-betrayed-by-britain-836713.html