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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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August 19th,
2009 - London Sued Over Rendition Case |
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London Sued Over Rendition Case From United Press International August 19, 2009 London - Lawyers for a
human-rights group have sued the British government for information regarding
the welfare of two Pakistani militants in custody in Afghanistan. Lawyers for Reprieve say two
men allegedly linked to al-Qaida affiliate Lashkar-e-Toiba were tortured and
suffer from mental disorders due to harsh interrogation techniques. British forces arrested the
two men in Iraq in 2004 and transferred them to the U.S. detention facility
at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan where they remain in custody. The organization is suing
the British Ministry of Defense for access to their identities and for
information regarding their well-being, London's Guardian newspaper reports. Leigh Day, the law firm
representing Lawyers for Reprieve, complained in a letter to British Defense
Secretary Bob Ainsworth that there is "no doubt" the two men
endured "potentially very serious torture." The Defense Ministry has not
responded, though defense officials in February admitted to giving
"inaccurate information" to British lawmakers regarding the LeT
suspects. Clive Stafford Smith,
director at Reprieve, blasted the British government for admitting to the
"crime of rendition" but doing nothing to remedy the situation. The Defense Ministry issued
a statement saying it is "considering" the measure, adding it had
assurances from Washington that the detainees were held in humane conditions
at Bagram. External link: http://tinyurl.com/nrc33v |