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Support the British Residents To Be Released From Guantanamo
Welcome Home! Four British Residents To Be Released From Guantanamo
After almost six years in US custody, four of the five British residents who are being held at Guantanamo Bay are to be released.
Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdenour Samuer will come back to the UK, while Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer will return to his native Saudi Arabia.
Ethiopian Binyam Mohammed al Habashi, and Algerian Ahmed Belbacha will remain at Guantanamo.
In close anticipation of their arrival, we encourage all to support Jamil, Omar, Shaker and Abdenour at the end of their arduous journey, in returning to their families and re-establishing the lives they were seized from.
Support The Four - Donate
Please quote the reference 'British residents' when making a donation:
Bank Name: Islamic Bank of Britain
Branch Name: Southall
Branch Address: Islamic Bank of Britain, 39a South Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB1 1SR
Branch Sort Code: 30-00-83
Account Name: Cageprisoners
Account Number: 01080301
Swift Code: IBOBGB22XXX
IBAN: GB52 LOYD 3096 3401 0241 92
You can post a cheque to:
Cageprisoners
PO Box 45798
London
SW16 4XS
Send A Message Of Support
Give the Four a warm welcome home ? send a message of support by email (contact@cageprisoners.com) or to:
c/o Cageprisoners
PO Box 45798
London
SW16 4XS
[I]To read more about the British residents click here (http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=22696)
Jazakallah khair!
Letters for Omar Deghayes can also be sent to:
C/o "Under the Bridge Studio"
67 Beaconsfield Road
Brighton
BN1 4QG
DAVID MILIBAND: WRITTEN MINISTERIAL STATEMENT ON GUANTANAMO BAY: RETURN OF UK RESIDENTS (13/12/07)
The House will be aware that, with the agreement of my Right Honourable Friend the Home Secretary, I wrote to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on 7 August to request the release from Guantanamo Bay and return to the UK of five men who, whilst not UK Nationals, had been legally resident in the UK prior to their detention. These are the only individuals now at Guantanamo who have been identified as having been given leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Immigration Acts.
My Right Honourable Friend the Home Secretary and I decided to seek the release of the five in light of work by the US government to reduce the number of those detained at Guantanamo and our wish to offer practical and concrete support to those efforts. In reaching this decision we gave full consideration to the need to maintain national security and the Government's overriding responsibilities in this regard.
Detailed and constructive discussions have since taken place between the British and US Governments, considering the circumstances of each individual case. The US agreed on 10 December that three of the five men - Mr Jamil El Banna, Mr Omar Deghayes and Mr Abdennour Sameur - will be returned to the UK shortly as soon as the practical arrangements can be made. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been in contact with the families and legal representatives of Mr El Banna, Mr Deghayes and Mr Sameur to let them know of this decision.
I should add that the decision to make this request does not constitute a commitment that they may remain permanently in the UK. Their immigration status will be reviewed following their return and the same security considerations will apply to them as would apply to any other foreign national in this country. As always, all appropriate steps will be taken to protect national security.
The US government has expressed significant additional security concerns in regard to the cases of the other two men covered by the original request - Mr Shaker Aamer and Mr Binyam Mohammed. They have so far declined the request for the release and return of Mr Aamer and we are no longer in active discussions regarding his transfer to the UK. We are still discussing with the US the case of Mr Mohammed although again the US government is not inclined to agree to his release and return.
Moving ahead, we will continue to discuss with the US government how best we can work with them to see the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. We will continue to encourage our allies to consider taking steps similar to our own to reduce the numbers of those detained at Guantanamo Bay, such as accepting the transfer of eligible detainees, thereby hastening the closure of the detention facility.
Source (http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1196172137054)
Are they residents then and not nationals?
insomniac
15-12-07, 09:37 AM
JazakAllaah khair for the updates, alhamdulillah at the brothers' release.
It's saddening that they don't wana let the other two back as well especially with the 'no longer active discussions' in the case of Shaker Aamer :(
Insha'Allaah I pray that these two brothers along with all our brothers in Guantanamo are released and returned to their families.
Are they residents then and not nationals?
Yes. Some of the brother's have wives and children that are nationals. They had been living here for many years before they were arrested.
ah thanks. Have their own home countries got involved with release at all do you know?
JazakAllaah khair for the updates, alhamdulillah at the brothers' release.
It's saddening that they don't wana let the other two back as well especially with the 'no longer active discussions' in the case of Shaker Aamer :(
Insha'Allaah I pray that these two brothers along with all our brothers in Guantanamo are released and returned to their families.
Brother Shaker actually wants to go back to Saudi hence Insha'allah he will shortly.
Insha'allah the remaining (over 300) brothers will too be released! :up:
ah thanks. Have their own home countries got involved with release at all do you know?
Saudi have for Shaker.
Guantanamo Three Returning To UK
Three British residents held by the US at Guantanamo Bay have been released after more than four-and-a-half years and will arrive back in the UK later.
Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdenour Samuer are on board a chartered aircraft along with a doctor and Metropolitan Police officers.
The men's lawyers said their clients had all agreed to "voluntary security arrangements" upon their return home.
The government said their immigration status would be reviewed immediately.
Another freed UK resident , Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer, is expected to return to his native Saudi Arabia.
A fifth UK resident, Ethiopian Binyam Mohammed, will remain at Guantanamo.
'Brutal Treatment'
A Home Office statement said the US had agreed to the releases on 10 December.
"This does not imply a commitment on our part that they can remain permanently in the UK and their immigration status will be reviewed immediately following their return," the statement added.
I'm extremely relieved that Omar's ordeal is finally coming to end after over five years of suffering in Guantanamo
Amani Deghayes
The three released men were accompanied by officers from the Met's counter-terrorism unit as well as uniformed officers, whose presence was requested by the Foreign Office.
Omar Deghayes' sister, Amani, said his family would be concentrating on helping him to put his ordeal behind him.
"I'm extremely relieved that Omar's ordeal is finally coming to end after over five years of suffering in Guantanamo," she said.
"We're looking forward to spending the Eid as family together."
She said her brother had been on the receiving end of "brutal and illegal treatment".
Human rights solicitor Gareth Peirce, who has previously represented two of the men, said their families could not wait to see them.
"It happens that today is Eid so it is particularly poignant."
'Dangerous' Accusation
The Americans accuse Palestinian Mr el-Banna of being an al-Qaeda recruiter and financier, Libyan Mr Deghayes of associating with al-Qaeda, and Algerian Mr Sameur of being trained for combat in Afghanistan.
There have been intensive negotiations between the UK and US authorities over the past few months.
The Pentagon insists that all five of the British residents are dangerous.
About 300 prisoners are held at Guantanamo Bay, set up at a US naval base in Cuba after the invasion of Afghanistan in early 2002.
The US argues that foreign nationals captured and detained outside the US have no recognisable constitutional rights.
Amnesty International's UK director, Kate Allen, welcomed the release of the three men and said they should be treated "first and foremost as victims of a serious miscarriage of justice".
"It's important that the government speaks out about the hundreds of men still held there - including at least two other men with ties to Britain - Ahmed Belbacha and Binyam Mohammed. These men must not become Guantanamo's forgotten prisoners."
She called on ministers to condemn the practices of rendition and secret detention, which the organisation claims "have fed the system at Guantanamo in the past six years".
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7152117.stm
Unique Muslimah
19-12-07, 08:52 PM
They're baccccccck Alhamdulillah
:crying:
Allahu Akbar..
Dappodan1
19-12-07, 09:04 PM
wasnt at least one of them being handled as an informer for the British secret service?
abdusamad
20-12-07, 12:00 AM
One of the newly released brothers was at the eid prayers, seeing a smile on that brother's face was pricesless.
Unique Muslimah
20-12-07, 12:02 AM
One of the newly released brothers was at the eid prayers, seeing a smile on that brother's face was pricesless.
One of the brothers that came back today?
insomniac
20-12-07, 12:03 AM
One of the newly released brothers was at the eid prayers, seeing a smile on that brother's face was pricesless.
Alhamdulillah thas really good to hear :)
As some of you may have heard, three British residents, Abdun-Nour Sameur, Omar Deghayes and Jamil El-Banna were returned yesterday evening to the UK after being held for nearly six years in Guantanamo Bay.
Instead of their imminent release to their families however, the UK government will tomorrow morning be presenting Omar and Jamil to the Westminister magistrates court and serving them with an extradition order applied for by the Spanish govenrment.
This could mean that both men remain in custody up until the point when a decision could be made to send them both to Spain to face undisclosed charges.
This situation is totally outragous and wholly unacceptable after what these men have had to endure especially since this siutation has materilaized completely unexpectedly.
Heartbreakingly, Jamil's wife and children had been waiting all day in eager anticipation, having readied themselves, the house and a welcome home party only for their hopes to be dashed at the last moment.
We, in conjunction with Gareth Peirce (who is acting on the men's behalf), Clive Stafford-Smith, the Save Omar Campaign and the family members of Omar and Jamil are requesting - at terribly short notice - for as many people to attend a the Westminster courts tomorrow at 9.30am and rally our support for these men and for their just treatment. The court address is:
70 Horseferry Road
London
England
SW1P 2AX
I really pray and hope that you are able to inform others and to attend.
Arise St George
20-12-07, 10:09 AM
I don't know whether these guys are guilty but if they are then they should remain in custody and be deported.
I don't know whether these guys are guilty but if they are then they should remain in custody and be deported.
Do you not think that if they had commited a crime and were 'the worst of the worse' as Bush described those held in Guantanamo that the US would release them?
My common sense says that this is highly unlikely, if one is dangerous.
Arise St George
20-12-07, 12:34 PM
Do you not think that if they had commited a crime and were 'the worst of the worse' as Bush described those held in Guantanamo that the US would release them?
My common sense says that this is highly unlikely, if one is dangerous.
The US releasing them doesn't prove anything. If enough pressure is put on the US to free UK citizens then the US will eventually do it but at the same time ban them from returning to the US. I don't think he is dangerous now as he would fear going through it all again but that's not the point. Terrorism is a crime.
THE PATH 2
20-12-07, 12:47 PM
Do you not think that if they had commited a crime and were 'the worst of the worse' as Bush described those held in Guantanamo that the US would release them?
My common sense says that this is highly unlikely, if one is dangerous.
if theyre released from guantanamo after 6 years
THEY ARE INNOCENT
Arise St George
20-12-07, 12:51 PM
if theyre released from guantanamo after 6 years
THEY ARE INNOCENT
Not neccessarily. Aren't some of them being extradited to Spain to face terror charges? That says to me they're guilty but Britain has asked the US for them to be brought back to Britain so that Britain can deal with it in their own hands.
Unique Muslimah
20-12-07, 01:43 PM
As some of you may have heard, three British residents, Abdun-Nour Sameur, Omar Deghayes and Jamil El-Banna were returned yesterday evening to the UK after being held for nearly six years in Guantanamo Bay.
Instead of their imminent release to their families however, the UK government will tomorrow morning be presenting Omar and Jamil to the Westminister magistrates court and serving them with an extradition order applied for by the Spanish govenrment.
This could mean that both men remain in custody up until the point when a decision could be made to send them both to Spain to face undisclosed charges.
This situation is totally outragous and wholly unacceptable after what these men have had to endure especially since this siutation has materilaized completely unexpectedly.
Heartbreakingly, Jamil's wife and children had been waiting all day in eager anticipation, having readied themselves, the house and a welcome home party only for their hopes to be dashed at the last moment.
We, in conjunction with Gareth Peirce (who is acting on the men's behalf), Clive Stafford-Smith, the Save Omar Campaign and the family members of Omar and Jamil are requesting - at terribly short notice - for as many people to attend a the Westminster courts tomorrow at 9.30am and rally our support for these men and for their just treatment. The court address is:
70 Horseferry Road
London
England
SW1P 2AX
I really pray and hope that you are able to inform others and to attend.
Twas a very sombre atmosphere...quite scary really.Alhamdulillah for the outcome:)
British Ex-Guantanamo Inmate Bailed
A British resident freed after more than four years in the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay has been bailed after he was arrested in the UK under a Spanish extradition warrant.
Jamil el-Banna was arrested as soon as he returned to the UK from Cuba on Wednesday night.
However, his case was adjourned until January 9 and he was granted bail on a surety of $100,000.
Two other British residents released alongside el-Banna - Libyan Omar Deghayes, and Algerian Abdennour Samuer - were also arrested on their UK arrival under the terrorism act and remain in custody.
The families of the three men and other supporters had earlier held a small protest outside the city of Westminster magistrates court where el-Banna had appeared.
Families' Anger
Deghayes was later released without charge, but then re-arrested on a similar Spanish extradition warrant, AFP news agency reported.
His sister, Amani Deghayes, told Al Jazeera earlier on Thursday that her brother's arrest had stunned and angered the family.
"It's just absolutely sick - first we're told he's just going to have a formal interview then be released ... and then a bombshell last night at 11 o'clock that he may be extradited to Spain and ... [we] may not see any kind of trial for two years," she said.
"It's really outrageous and sick [and] we weren't prepared for that."
Meanwhile Clive Stafford-Smith, lawyer for the three men, told Al Jazeera that he had been assured by the Spanish authorities while Deghayes was in Guantanamo Bay that they would not seek his extradition.
"The moment we finally get them to Britain... and to within touching distance, almost, of their children, suddenly the Spanish come up with this," he said.
"The idea thay they would suddenly try to swoop in on him is just immoral."
Detentions
El-Banna, a Palestinian-Jordanian who has the right to live in Britain, was originally detained in November 2002 while on a business trip to Gambia with another man, Bisher al-Rawi.
The pair were thought to have been taken to Afghanistan by US authorities and then to Cuba.
El-Banna is accused by Spanish authorities of being a member of an al-Qaeda cell, known as the Islamic Alliance, in Madrid between June 1996 and July 2001.
His release on bail means he will be reunited with his family, including his youngest child whom he has never seen.
Deghayes, meanwhile, was arrested in Pakistan, while Samuer was picked up on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Policy Change
The British government changed its policy of refusing to seek the release of non-British nationals in August.
The US has been criticised internationally for its detention policies at the prison camp.
It has said in the past that it does not want the facility to remain open for a protracted period of time.
Washington did not say why it had decided to comply with Britain's request to release the men from the base in Cuba.
Britain's interior ministry had said on Wednesday that the three men's return to Britain did not mean they would be permitted to stay in the country.
Source (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D41A67D6-04FA-4652-AF93-67BA836EA987.htm)
salsabeela
20-12-07, 09:20 PM
Assalamu alaikum,
subhanAllah did u see the brother jamil al Banna? it was nice to see him but so sad :( so so sad how did it ever happen?
and there was one of the brothers who has a damaged eye 'from his time at guantanamo' :confused: what on earth does that mean, and the reporter just said it like its nothing. i dont even wanna think wat he and the other brothers wnt/are still going thru.
May Allah ta'aala grant them a speedy release and make their trials a means of entry for them to highest levels of Jannah! Ameen! say 'Ameen' brothers and sisters! Allahumma Ameen! :crying2:
wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatuLLAH wa barakatu
:lailah:
Assalamu alaikum,
subhanAllah did u see the brother jamil al Banna? it was nice to see him but so sad :( so so sad how did it ever happen?
and there was one of the brothers who has a damaged eye 'from his time at guantanamo' :confused: what on earth does that mean, and the reporter just said it like its nothing. i dont even wanna think wat he and the other brothers wnt/are still going thru.
May Allah ta'aala grant them a speedy release and make their trials a means of entry for them to highest levels of Jannah! Ameen! say 'Ameen' brothers and sisters! Allahumma Ameen! :crying2:
wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatuLLAH wa barakatu
:lailah:
Walaikum salam.
It happened thanks to the MI5 whom visited him the day before he left for Gambia and even when he asked whether it was ok for him to travel they gave the go ahead, only to have him arrested on the other end.
The brother you're talking about is Omar Deghayes, he was blinded due to the IRF team whom stormed his sell and sprayed pepper spray in his eye, they also broke his finger and ribs at other times.
Ameen to the dua!
Guantánamo Three Released From Custody
All three British residents freed from Guantánamo Bay yesterday were today released from UK custody.
Jamil el-Banna, 45, Omar Deghayes, 38, and Abdennour Samuer, 34, arrived home last night after almost five years of being held without charge or trial, but were then immediately arrested.
El-Banna, a Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship, was today granted bail with a surety of £50,000 at City of Westminster magistrates court under a Spanish extradition warrant. He will face a full hearing in January.
Deghayes appeared at the same court at a later hearing, also under an extradition warrant, and was granted bail with a surety of £50,000.
Samuer walked free without charge from Paddington Green police station, where he had been questioned on suspicion of offences under the Terrorism Act 2000.
Video footage of el-Banna pulling up in a taxi and walking to his front door where his children were waiting, including one he had never met, was broadcast on BBC.
He thanked everyone for their support, before giving one of his sons a hug and then turning to his young daughter to do the same.
His son could be seen turning away with tears in his eyes, as el-Banna continued to hug and kiss the rest of his children before going into the house.
El-Banna had earlier made a brief statement outside City of Westminster magistrates court. "Thank you very much everybody, my solicitor, the British people, the British government for your help," he said. "I'm tired. I want to go home and see my children."
In court he spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address in Dollis Hill in north-west London. He also glanced to the public gallery where many of his family and supporters were sitting.
The court heard that the Spanish warrant for his arrest relates to an accusation that he was a member of a Spanish cell of al-Qaida called the Islamic Alliance. It was claimed he helped recruit people into terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and Indonesia in order ultimately to fight jihad, and distributed terrorist propaganda.
The court also heard that he was a Pakistani national who first came to Britain on a false passport before applying for asylum, and that he was ultimately given indefinite leave to remain in the country.
Half of his surety was put up by the human rights campaigner Vanessa Redgrave, and the rest by two other supporters. His other bail conditions are that el-Banna must obey a curfew and live at his home in Dollis Hill, as well as wear an electronic tag.
District judge Timothy Workman described the circumstances of the bail application as "extremely unusual" and said he would have to weigh up the US view that el-Banna posed no threat, with the prosecution's argument that he might abscond or commit further offences if released.
He said: "I am satisfied that subject to stringent conditions the risk of flight is very small."
Outside the court, Clive Stafford Smith, el-Banna's lawyer, said: "The Spanish should admit they made a bad mistake and apologise. "These people have been tortured by the Americans - this is the 21st century. I'm American and I apologise for that.
"The last 24 hours have been handled extremely badly, but thankfully it means he gets to go home and see his little children."
El-Banna was detained under port and border controls after the flight landed at Luton and was arrested this morning after being taken to a police station in Bedfordshire for questioning.
Deghayes and Samuer were both were arrested immediately on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2000 and taken to Paddington Green police station in London for questioning.
Deghayes was later released from his detention under terrorism legislation and re-arrested under EU extradition laws. Westminster magistrates court heard allegations that, in 1996, he went to Spain and hid in the Madrid flat of a man later convicted of involvement in the Casablanca bombing.
Melanie Cumberland, counsel representing the Spanish authorities, also claimed Deghayes featured in a video in the Russian republic of Dagestan that showed him engaged in terrorist activities, and that he associated with one of the men involved in the 2003 Madrid bombings.
In 2003 the Spanish Judge, Baltasar Garzón, who specialises in terrorist cases, called for the indictment of el-Banna and Deghayes as part of an investigation of an alleged al-Qaida cell in Spain.
Garzón said they are suspected of links to Imad Yarkas, the alleged head of an al-Qaida cell in Spain that was broken up in 2001. Yarkas was acquitted at a 2005 trial of helping plot the September 11 terror attacks, but convicted of a lesser terrorism charge and is serving a 12-year prison term in Spain.
El-Banna and Deghayes could now face lengthy court hearings, and a possible trial in Spain, if the extraditions go ahead. Stafford Smith has vowed to fight any such request.
Source (http://www.guardian.co.uk/guantanamo/story/0,,2230223,00.html)
Vanessa Redgrave Helps Guantanamo Suspects
Two suspected al-Qa'eda operatives released from Guantanamo Bay have walked free from court although they are still wanted in Spain on terrorism-related offences.
One of the men, who is accused of distributing extremist propaganda produced by Osama bin Laden, had half of his £50,000 bail surety met by the actress Vanessa Redgrave.
Jamil el-Banna, 45, who was said during a brief court hearing to have helped run a cell called the Islamic Alliance, recruiting people to fight jihad in Afghanistan and Indonesia, returned to his London home tonight.
The other man, Omar Deghayes, 38, a Libyan national freed from Guantanamo and allowed into the UK because he once lived here, is said to have had links to the same al-Qa'eda cell. He was also released on bail.
Spain issued European arrest warrants for both men within hours of their arrival in Britain last night from the Cuban detention centre. Miss Redgrave said: "It is a profound honour and I am glad to be alive to be able to do this.''
She added: "Guantanamo Bay is a concentration camp. It is a disgrace that these men have been kept there all these years."
But the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court heard of their alleged links to al-Qa'eda, which raised fresh questions over why the British government interceded on their behalf to allow their return here from Guantanamo.
Although the men have been resident in the UK and have family here, they are not British citizens.
Previously, the Government has said it owed them no legal obligations.
Melanie Cumberland, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Mr el Banna was a Pakistani who had first come to Britain in 1994 on a false Kuwaiti passport.
He requested asylum and was eventually granted indefinite leave to remain.
Miss Cumberland said that after settling in Britain he went to Spain between June 1996 and July 2001, where he helped run an al-Qa'eda cell.
"The cell sent funds to Afghanistan to finance the aims of the organisation, sometimes using human carriers or other means," she said.
If he were extradited, she added, he could receive a jail term of up to 15 years.
Mr el-Banna was captured shortly after 9/11 by American agents in Gambia, where he said he was setting up a peanut oil factory.
They said he was a fund-raiser for Osama bin Laden.
Edward Fitzgerald, defending, said there was "not a shred of evidence" against Mr el-Banna.
He said: "It simply cannot be said that this is someone who is a danger or was associated with a dangerous organisation.''
He claimed Spain's allegation was "unsubstantiated, unevidenced and unsupported".
Proceedings were relayed to him through a translator and he was bailed to return to court on Jan 8.
He is subject to a curfew, must live at his home in Dollis Hill, London and has been electronically tagged.
As he left court, Mr el-Banna, who has been flanked by two officers during his appearance, said: "Thank you very much everybody, my solicitor, the British people, the British Government for your help.
"I'm tired. I want to go home and see my children."
Campaigners for Mr el-Banna's release accused the British authorities of lying about what would happen when he returned to the UK.
Sarah Teather, Liberal Democrat MP, said: "He was hoping to meet his wife under very different circumstances.
"The family have just been on a rollercoaster ride. He's aged a great deal but his eyes are still bright and the lawyers say his spirit is still strong."
The likelihood is that both men will end up being tried in Spain.
Extradition under a fast-track European warrant is meant to be a formality.
Abdennour Samuer, 34, a third British resident also released from Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday night, was released without charge after being questioned by police.
He is an Algerian army deserter who came to Britain in 1999 and was granted refugee status.
He was captured by American troops in Afghanistan, where he said he had gone because he found it hard to live as a good Muslim in Britain.
Campaigners for the men, held in Guantanamo for almost five years, say they are innocent individuals kidnapped and tortured by the Americans.
Source (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/20/ngitmo620.xml)
Watch Vanessa's Interview Outside The Court Here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7153146.stm)
JazakAllaah khair for the updates, alhamdulillah at the brothers' release.
It's saddening that they don't wana let the other two back as well especially with the 'no longer active discussions' in the case of Shaker Aamer :(
Insha'Allaah I pray that these two brothers along with all our brothers in Guantanamo are released and returned to their families.
Yes. Some of the brother's have wives and children that are nationals. They had been living here for many years before they were arrested.
This is not correct. They are NOT British nationals. They have been granted UK residence visas but they are not British citizens, are not British nationals, and remain citizens of their own countries. This doesn't matter that much since the UK is unlikely to revoke their residence visas (not least because some of their family members are UK citizens), but it's important everyone understands that - legally - the government owes them nothing.
This is not correct. They are NOT British nationals. They have been granted UK residence visas but they are not British citizens, are not British nationals, and remain citizens of their own countries. This doesn't matter that much since the UK is unlikely to revoke their residence visas (not least because some of their family members are UK citizens), but it's important everyone understands that - legally - the government owes them nothing.
Also, Jamil el-Banna first came to Britain illegally in 1994 on a false Kuwaiti passport and was convicted of credit card fraud in 1998, so - please - everything else aside this man is at the very least already a criminal. I'm not saying this means anything can happen to him subsequently, but let's not present him as some kind of saint. He's not. He's a thief (because that's what credit card fraud is) and a liar (because he entered the country on a false passport)
salsabeela
21-12-07, 06:40 PM
:rubeyes:
hey hey hey whats going on, maybe that was in his past! and i know i dont like to be reminded of my (many) past mistakes
:lailah:
Sobieski III
22-12-07, 05:27 AM
The brother you're talking about is Omar Deghayes, he was blinded due to the IRF team whom stormed his sell and sprayed pepper spray in his eye, they also broke his finger and ribs at other times.
Ameen to the dua!Sorry, but pepper spray doesn't cause blindness. Nice try though.
Sorry, but pepper spray doesn't cause blindness. Nice try though.
His sight was lost whilst in Guantanamo, you do the math.
Also, Jamil el-Banna first came to Britain illegally in 1994 on a false Kuwaiti passport and was convicted of credit card fraud in 1998, so - please - everything else aside this man is at the very least already a criminal. I'm not saying this means anything can happen to him subsequently, but let's not present him as some kind of saint. He's not. He's a thief (because that's what credit card fraud is) and a liar (because he entered the country on a false passport)
What on earth has this got to do with what has happened to him over the last five years? Solet me get this straight because someone made mistakes when their past, they should be hald with neither trial nor charge in isolation?
His sight was lost whilst in Guantanamo, you do the math.
What on earth has this got to do with what has happened to him over the last five years? Solet me get this straight because someone made mistakes when their past, they should be hald with neither trial nor charge in isolation?
I've not talked about what happened to him in Guantanamo - I'm saying that this man is not a UK citzen, is a convicted thief etc so people should stop presenting him as some sort of saint, which he's not.
I happen to believe he probably did nothing wrong re: terrorism, but my point is that I don't want him back in the UK because he's a convicted criminal - simple as that.
Sobieski III
22-12-07, 04:13 PM
His sight was lost whilst in Guantanamo, you do the math.The \"math\" clearly says you can\'t go blind from pepper spray so your statement is ridiculous. Try another wild theory.
salsabeela
22-12-07, 08:14 PM
What on earth has this got to do with what has happened to him over the last five years? Solet me get this straight because someone made mistakes when their past, they should be hald with neither trial nor charge in isolation?[/QUOTE]
Nazias, Exactly:confused: you forgot to mention the torture too subhanAllah
Sobieski III
22-12-07, 09:18 PM
How do we know he was tortured?
I've not talked about what happened to him in Guantanamo - I'm saying that this man is not a UK citzen, is a convicted thief etc so people should stop presenting him as some sort of saint, which he's not.
I happen to believe he probably did nothing wrong re: terrorism, but my point is that I don't want him back in the UK because he's a convicted criminal - simple as that.
I do not remember referring to anyone as a 'saint'.
If your point is not about Guantanamo but rather him as a person, perhaps it should be left at the door. Thanks! :up:
The \"math\" clearly says you can\'t go blind from pepper spray so your statement is ridiculous. Try another wild theory.
You try the math first then get back to me or better still feel free not to.
freetheprisoner
22-12-07, 10:22 PM
Salams,
Its also important to remember that thousands of people in the Uk are jailed for theft and other crimes every year. At no point does the government think (unless they are muslim that is ) "I know, lets send them to a camp which we can believe is outside the law, and then hold them there indefinitely as we believe they may commit crimes in the future which are more serious."
No government should use the film "minority report" to set its foreign and justice policies!
Sobieski III
22-12-07, 10:25 PM
You try the math first then get back to me or better still feel free not to.Don't need to because you can't go blind from pepper spray.
Don't need to because you can't go blind from pepper spray.
What is your theory then on how Omar lost sight in one eye whilst detained in Guantanamo?
Al-Farooq
22-12-07, 10:39 PM
Don't need to because you can't go blind from pepper spray.
Does that make it perfectly acceptable for guards to hold both of your eyes open, spray pepper spray into your eyes, take a towel soaked in pepper spray, rub it in your eyes and, finally, for the sake of thoroughness, push one of their fingers into your eyes so hard and deep it leaves you totally blind in that eye.
Don't try and make excuses for such disgusting behaviour, it really doesn't reflect well upon you.
SOURCE (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/4273239.stm)
Sobieski III
23-12-07, 12:30 AM
What is your theory then on how Omar lost sight in one eye whilst detained in Guantanamo?I don't know that he did lose sight in one eye in Guantanamo. Unfortunately, we will never know either way.
Does that make it perfectly acceptable for guards to ho[SIZE=2]ld both of your eyes open, spray pepper spray into your eyes, take a towel soaked in pepper spray, rub it in your eyes and, finally, for the sake of thoroughness, push one of their fingers into your eyes so hard and deep it leaves you totally blind in that eye.Again, I don't know that this ever happened. But for the sake of argument, yes, it is possible (though unlikely) to go blind from someone jamming his finger into your eye.
Don't try and make excuses for such disgusting behaviour, it really doesn't reflect well upon you.I'm not making excuses since I have no idea whether or not it's true. Incidentally, neither do you.
Al-Farooq
23-12-07, 04:15 AM
I don't know that he did lose sight in one eye in Guantanamo. Unfortunately, we will never know either way.
Again, I don't know that this ever happened.
I'm not making excuses since I have no idea whether or not it's true.
Never underestimate the power of denial. *shakes head in disbelief*
Sometimes the facts speak for themselves and the burden of proof is irrelevant.
The Guantanamo Holiday Camp waves goodbye to another satisfied customer.
Land of the free, home of the brave.
I need a flag to wave.
Sobieski III
23-12-07, 05:00 AM
Sometimes the facts speak for themselves and the burden of proof is irrelevant.
What "facts" are you talking about? Please inform me.
The Guantanamo Holiday Camp waves goodbye to another satisfied customer.
Land of the free, home of the brave.
I need a flag to wave.Frankly, nobody in the US cares if you're waving the flag or what you think about the land of the free. Guantanamo Bay doesn't make my top 1000 list of things I care about (other than it being a massive waste of resources, like Iraq).
freetheprisoner
23-12-07, 11:01 AM
Frankly, nobody in the US cares if you're waving the flag or what you think about the land of the free.
I actually think they do. George Bush said "If you hate the US , you hate freedom",
And also passing an act, the PATRIOT act, acronyms aside actually implied that to be a good US citizen, you have to erode freedom in your own country.
I don't know that he did lose sight in one eye in Guantanamo. Unfortunately, we will never know either way.
No matter what I say you will think it is untrue, perhaps you should have a read of Inside The Wire (http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Wire-Intelligence-Eyewitness-Guantanamo/dp/1594200661) which is an account of what a US Military Intelligence Soldier saw and experienced whilst out in Gunatanamo. :up:
Sobieski III
23-12-07, 03:38 PM
No matter what I say you will think it is untrue, perhaps you should have a read of Inside The Wire (http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Wire-Intelligence-Eyewitness-Guantanamo/dp/1594200661) which is an account of what a US Military Intelligence Soldier saw and experienced whilst out in Gunatanamo. :up:I didn't say it was untrue, just that it's unknowable. You'll believe anything that supports your preconceived notions. I'm open to the possibility that the guy has an agenda and is lying through his teeth.
I didn't say it was untrue, just that it's unknowable. You'll believe anything that supports your preconceived notions. I'm open to the possibility that the guy has an agenda and is lying through his teeth.
I don't habe any preconceived notions but thanks for assuming I do.
Yes I am sure he and all the other detainees and their lawyers are lying. :rolleyes:
Like I said, maybe read the book as it would it be a different persective for you.
Sobieski III
23-12-07, 06:26 PM
I don't habe any preconceived notions but thanks for assuming I do. My apologies. So you don't believe, a priori, that every story of alleged torture emanating from Guantanamo is true?
Yes I am sure he and all the other detainees and their lawyers are lying. :rolleyes:Because prisoners, detainees and convicted felons (and their lawyers) are known to never lie.
Like I said, maybe read the book as it would it be a different persective for you.I read the reviews and was unimpressed. But thanks anyway.
Al-Farooq
23-12-07, 07:58 PM
What "facts" are you talking about? Please inform me.
The facts:
Man enters prison with sight in both eyes.
Man leaves prison blind in one eye.
The prison is notorious for torture and brutality.
Suspicious deaths have happened at the prison.
Prison guards admit that torture and extreme brutality take place at the prison.
Man says guards were responsible for his blindness
Guards admit taking part in torture and brutality.
Of course, it was probably a freak basket-weaving accident that took his eyesight, not the endless hours of vicious torture and inhumane cruelty he was subjected to.
My apologies. So you don't believe, a priori, that every story of alleged torture emanating from Guantanamo is true?
Because prisoners, detainees and convicted felons (and their lawyers) are known to never lie.
I read the reviews and was unimpressed. But thanks anyway.
And you believe that they are all untrue?
There are many a respected lawyers whom have represented those in Guantanamo for free and the you can not discredit organisations such as the CCR whom were one of the first to start campaiging against Guantanamo.
Each to their own, I figured as everything was a conspiracy, perhaps a first hand account would have some effect on you but obviously I was incorrect.
Sobieski III
24-12-07, 12:14 AM
The facts:
Man enters prison with sight in both eyes.
Man leaves prison blind in one eye.
The prison is notorious for torture and brutality.
Suspicious deaths have happened at the prison.
Prison guards admit that torture and extreme brutality take place at the prison.
Man says guards were responsible for his blindness
Guards admit taking part in torture and brutality.
Of course, it was probably a freak basket-weaving accident that took his eyesight, not the endless hours of vicious torture and inhumane cruelty he was subjected to.
Man maybe enters prison with sight in both eyes, man leaves prison claiming to be blind in one eye.
The prison is subject to numerous allegations of "torture" and "extreme brutality", none of which have been confirmed.
Ironically, according to Erik Saar, many guards actually thought the prisoners were treated too well. "Also, many of the guards thought that the conditions for the detainees were too good. Many of them were Reservists who held civilian positions in American prisons and they felt American prisoners were treated worse on some occasions than the detainees were." In my opinion, this suggests that American prisons are hellholes too. Still, I'd rather be at Gitmo than in a Taliban detention center.
Sobieski III
24-12-07, 12:35 AM
And you believe that they are all untrue?Not at all. I simply pointed out that you have preconceived notions. I prefer to view allegations with a healthy dose of skepticism. I believe that the truth lays somewhere in between.
There are many a respected lawyers whom have represented those in Guantanamo for free and the you can not discredit organisations such as the CCR whom were one of the first to start campaiging against Guantanamo.A lawyer's job is to represent his clients. Lawyers are limited to representing angels. Case in point, Ramsay Clark has represented the most vile pieces of human waste ever including: Nazi war criminals, Charles Taylor, leaders of the Rwandan genocide, Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic and Saddam Hussein. Any organization that has an idiot like Danny Glover as a spokesperson (hello CCR) loses all credibility in my eyes.
Each to their own, I figured as everything was a conspiracy, perhaps a first hand account would have some effect on you but obviously I was incorrect.Call me a sucker for evidence.
http://www.amigos-de-borges.net/site/assets/banner_save_omar.jpg
Save Omar Statement (21/12/07)
Today, Omar Deghayes is at home in Saltdean with his family. The Save Omar group has worked for his release for three years and we have, almost, achieved our aim: to protect the human rights of local man unwittingly caught up in the so-called war on terror. Now, Omar is safe from torturers in Guantanamo and interrogators in our own Paddington Green police station. His mother, sister and brothers are free of fears for his safety. We wish the Deghayes family, who have suffered so much, peace and rest. No family should have to go through their ordeal. Detention without trial punishes those detained and their loved ones, their friends and their community. There is no trial, so there is no defined, limited sentence and only constant uncertainty and fear. A detainee is simply a hostage. Of course, there are laws against such treatment, against arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention. There is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international conventions that attempt to uphold it but these have been trampled upon by the US in Guantanamo Bay while British and other European governments have looked the other way. Worse still, if the events of Thursday 20th December are anything to go by, British and European governments are anxious to show allegiance to the US and are helping to save the political face of the Bush regime.
Omar Deghayes, who has been imprisoned for six years, five in Gunantanamo, without ever a charge being made is now on bail, subject to overnight curfew and tagging, after a ruling from Westminster Magistrates Court. He is home; he is with his family. All his supporters welcome this and are proud to have played a part in his home-coming. But, it is of grave concern that he and his family had to face fear and uncertainty again upon his arrival in Britain. They had to go through what amounted to a show trail at Westminster, where unsubstantiated allegations and suspicion instead of actual evidence took the floor.
As has been widely reported, Omar and Jamil were detained shortly after landing at Luton airport on the night of Wednesday 19th December to face an extradition order to Spain. Four Save Omar campaigners, Assumpcio, Rob, Amy and Louise, travelled to London to listen to the case for extradition.
'The whole day must have been so hard for Omar's family, hoping to see him after all this time, six years of worry, but no-one, no court official had the courtesy to indicate when his case might be heard. We thought it would begin at 9.30am but Omar didn't even arrive in the court building until late afternoon. Outside the court crowds of photographers had gathered, snapping and filming away, blocking the pavement infront of the court. Amani, Omar's sister, remarked to us: "Why weren't they interested when we needed them?"'
'Court 1, where Omar and Jamil were due to appear, was packed: no spare seats in the public gallery and press and human rights observers filling all the seats in the court itself. The extradition charges were read out by a young female lawyer from the Crown Prosecution Service. She was barely audible and seemed completely unconvinced by the words she was reading out. The news media has come out with the line that Omar and Jamil are "wanted" by Spain, but today they didn't seem to want them very much: there were no representatives of the Spanish government, no heavy weight or experienced lawyers. More importantly, the charges were flimsy, to say the least. As far as we could make out, in the case of Omar, they related to the story line of the notorious mistaken identity video, where he is identified as a now dead Chechen rebel. Furthermore, as the barrister for the Guantanamo detainees pointed out, even the Americans disregarded the Spanish accusations when they ruled through their Administrative Review Boards, which are not known for their leniency, that the British residents were not a threat to US or its allies. The barrister also noted that there was no 'source' for allegations. It begs the question of whether Omar and Jamil have been named by someone under duress or even subjected to torture. Omar Deghayes is just a name and nothing more, which was confirmed by the Spanish journalists covering the case. They knew nothing about him or his connection to Brighton.'
www.save-omar.org.uk (http://www.save-omar.org.uk/)
abdusamad
25-12-07, 07:27 PM
next hearing is on jan 6th right nazias?
next hearing is on jan 6th right nazias?
The extradition hearing is on the 9th.
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