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News 2007

14 December 2007

No case for extending detention

In the last two days, two different Parliamentary committees have said that there is no case for extending police detention without charge (so-called "pre-charge detention") beyond the current limit of 28 days.... Click title to read more

13 December 2007

David Miliband - statement on return of Guantanamo prisoners

Today, Thursday 13 December, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office released an official statement by Foreign Secretary David Miliband on the return of 3 British residents to the UK.... Click title to read more

13 December 2007

Policy Exchange exposed

Newsnight discredits the Policy Exchange report entitled 'The Hijacking of British Islam: How extremist literature is subverting Britain's mosques. Edinburgh mosque was one of those named in the report.... Click title to read more

07 December 2007

Support grows for Aamer Anwar

Today in the Edinburgh High Court, the three most senior judges in Scotland presided over a procedural hearing with regards to the human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar. Anwar faces a contempt of court charge after speaking out on behalf of his client Mohammed Atif Siddique.... Click title to read more

06 December 2007

A crucial moment for human rights

As a fresh legal battle begins in the US Supreme Court over the right to a fair trial of the 300 prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, a former US army Muslim Chaplain will be speaking in Glasgow about his own experiences at the notorious prison camp.... Click title to read more

08 November 2007

Mosques support Aamer Anwar

Today the Muslim organisations of all the Glasgow mosques met together and decided to form a Muslim Action Committee to support the lawyer Aamer Anwar.... Click title to read more

06 November 2007

Aamer Anwar to face contempt charges

Glasgow solicitor Aamer Anwar is to face contempt of court proceedings over statements he made after his client Mohammed Atif Siddique was convicted for "terrorism"... Click title to read more

05 November 2007

Pakistan - AI statement

The current State of Emergency in Pakistan is a blatant breach of international law and human rights standards enshrined in the country's own constitution, Amnesty International's Secretary General Irene Khan said today.... Click title to read more

04 November 2007

Legal luminaries defend Aamer Anwar

THE MOST celebrated names in the English legal establishment have savaged the Scottish justice system for undermining human rights and freedom of speech through threats to prosecute the Scottish lawyer Aamer Anwar for contempt of court in the wake of a terror trial.... Click title to read more

02 November 2007

AI condemns SIAC ruling

Amnesty International days SIAC ruling will allow the British government to "it will circumvent the protection against torture in UK law."... Click title to read more

01 November 2007

Met guilty in Menezes case

Press release regarding jury's guilty verdict following the prosecution of the Metropolitan police for breaches of Health and Safety regulations... Click title to read more

31 October 2007

Control orders should be scrapped - AI

Amnesty International today warned that today's Law Lords ruling may only lead to the government persisting with a watered-down Control Order regime that remains fundamentally unfair.... Click title to read more

31 October 2007

Law Lords rule on control orders

Solicitor acting for men under control orders welcome Law Lords ruling... Click title to read more

25 October 2007

Rachid Ramda jailed for life

Rachid Ramda had been convicted by a French Court for his supposed part in the 1995 Paris metro bombings. He was sentenced to "perpetuity" (life). Rachid has always denied any connection with the bombings and will appeal.... Click title to read more

22 October 2007

Siddique gets 8 years

At Edinburgh High Court today, Lord Carloway sentenced Mohammed Atif Siddique to a total of 8 years in jail.... Click title to read more

12 October 2007

Stop and scrap

BRITISH Asians have blasted the police about a "misleading" DVD on the use of stop and search powers.... Click title to read more

10 October 2007

Supreme Court rejects El-Masri

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday denied without comment a petition brought by Khaled el-Masri, a German citizen who was jailed and tortured by the CIA in 2004.... Click title to read more

17 September 2007

Siddique found guilty

Mohammed Atif Siddique was found guilty on Monday of three "terrorism" offences. The jury at Glasgow's High Court took over 8 hours to reach their verdict after a trial lasting almost 4 weeks.... Click title to read more

22 August 2007

Scotland complicit in rendition

Recent research shows that Scottish airports have been a key staging point in the renditions circuit, and that six named individuals were transported to torture with the help of Scottish territory.... Click title to read more

16 August 2007

British Pakistani detained in Pakistan

British Pakistani Rangzieb Ahmed is being held in Pakistan in mysterious circumstances.... Click title to read more

10 August 2007

Rendition plane lands at Glasgow

A Gulfstream with the ID N475LC flew from Fayetteville (Ft. Bragg, USA) to Shannon via Bangor, Maine, a few days ago. It is now (11pm Friday) returning from Glasgow to Fayetteville via Bangor... Click title to read more

30 June 2007

Glasgow airport incident

SACC commends the police officers and members of the public who dealt with Saturday's incident at Glasgow airport. But we call on police responsible for the ongoing investigation to avoid the king of dragnet operations that heve marred previous terrorism investigations... Click title to read more

27 June 2007

Baber Ahmad - will Europe intervene

On Monday 2nd July 2007, The European Court of Human Rights are expected to sit and begin deciding on whether or not to hear Babar Ahmad's case.... Click title to read more

19 June 2007

Detainee X released

Detainee "X", who was arrested in Algeria on 6 June after he was deported from the UK, was released without charge on the morning of 16 June.... Click title to read more

18 June 2007

Court of Appeal hears key case in the global fight against torture

Court of Appeal starts hearing an important test case concerning the appeal of three Algerians against their deportation to Algeria on"national security" grounds... Click title to read more

14 June 2007

Deportee held incommunicado in Algeria

Amnesty International has issued an action alert for "Detainee X", an Algerian asylum-seeker deported from the UK on 6 June, now being held incommunicado in Algeria... Click title to read more

14 June 2007

Babar Ahmad - Europe puts stay on extradition

The European Cort has put a hold on the extradition of Babar Ahmad. Babar Ahmad's family say: "This intervention by the European Court in asking for a stay is a sign of hope for us. We are still unsure how long this will actually be and will have to wait and see what their response is. We continue to have hope and pray for Babar's swift return."... Click title to read more

14 June 2007

SACC writes to Kenny MacAskill on rendition

SACC has written to Holyrood Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill calling for an investigation into fears that Scottish airports have been used illegally in connection with CIA "extraordinary rendition" flights.... Click title to read more

12 June 2007

Babar Ahmad decision is stunning - SACC

SACC is stunned by the Law Lords decision on Monday not to hear Babar Ahmad's appeal against extradition to the US. In December last year the High Court in London, despite rejecting Babar Ahmad's appeal, gave certification for his case to be taken to the House of Lords. But the Law Lords ruled on Monday that the two points of Law presented to them were not matters of "public importance" and hence rejected the appeal.... Click title to read more

12 June 2007

Dawn raid in Glasgow

This morning the Home Office carried out the first dawn raid in Glasgow since the Waku family were taken in March earlier this year... Click title to read more

12 June 2007

Babar Ahmad to be extradited to us within days

The House of Lords have refused Babar Ahmad permission to appeal against his US extradition. The Lords concluded that the two points of Law presented to them were not matters of "public importance" and hence rejected the appeal.... Click title to read more

07 June 2007

New anti-terror measures proposed

Yesterday's official unwrapping of the government's long-trailed package of "anti-terror" measures makes it clear that New Labour's assault on civil liberties isn't about to end any time soon.... Click title to read more

07 June 2007

Rendition - new report from Council of Europe

The latest report of Council of Europe Rappoerteur Dick Marty confirms long-standing suspicions that the British-owned island of Diego Garcia is hosting a secret CIA prison. It also says that secret prisons hace existed in Poland and Romania... Click title to read more

30 May 2007

Lecturers throw out government spying plans

University and college lecturers this morning voted unanimously to reject government plans to instruct university staff to report students for 'extremism'.... Click title to read more

25 May 2007

Demo against torture flights

Thursday 24th May 2007 saw two demonstrations to urge the Scottish Parliament to take action to stop torture flights.... Click title to read more

16 May 2007

G8 case collapses two years on

Charges against five protesters arrested during Edinburgh's G8 demonstrations have been thrown out of court after two years.... Click title to read more

13 May 2007

Three to be deported to torture, one safe

SIAC has ruled that three men can be deported to Algeria, where human rights groups believe the men risk torture. Another man, Mouloud Sihali, has won his appeal against deportation.... Click title to read more

11 May 2007

CIA TORTURE flights: Direct from Landmark Aviation USA to Scotland

Those CIA flights with the Scotland stopovers originate at Landmark Aviation near Washington, we now know - Indymedia report on how CIA personnel and aircraft can be spotted at US airports, before setting off for Scotland.... Click title to read more

10 May 2007

Guantanamo Briton facing new charges in Morocco

A man from Britain who was released from Guantanamo Bay and sent to Morocco has been re-arrested by the Moroccan authorities after earlier terrorism-related charges brought on his arrival in the country were dropped.... Click title to read more

10 May 2007

anti-G8 protesters raided in Germany

Since Wednesday morning 8 am a wave of searches is taking places against left structures throughout Germany. Targeted are social projects and private persons that are organizing against the coming G8 summit - or suspected to do so.... Click title to read more

08 May 2007

Trial raises question of what MI5 knew about 7/7

Following a series of damning revelations during the trial of seven men for their roles in the alleged "fertiliser bomb plot," the government is continuing to dismiss calls for an independent inquiry into the July 7, 2005, London bombings.... Click title to read more

03 May 2007

Renes flight stopped

Rene Murabukirwa, the Edinburgh charity worker from Rwanda who was detained last week, and was due to be deported today, has had his flight stopped after his lawyer managed to lodge a judicial review of the decision to remove him. ... Click title to read more

02 May 2007

The Complexity of Truth

Craig Murray comments on the fertiliser plot convictions and reveals that he went to the Old Bailey at the request of the defence to discuss giving expert evidence in the case.... Click title to read more

02 May 2007

US wants visas for British Pakistanis

The American government wants to impose travel restrictions on British citizens of Pakistani origin because of concerns about terrorism, according to a report.... Click title to read more

01 May 2007

New Book - Clive Stafford Smith on Guantanamo and secret prisons

Out Now - Bad Men - Guantanamo Bay And The Secret Prisons by Clive Stafford Smith... Click title to read more

30 April 2007

Five convicted of fertiliser bomb plot

Five British Muslims were convicted today of plotting to carry out a deadly bombing spree across the U.K., ending the country's longest terrorism trial.... Click title to read more

30 April 2007

Refugee from genocide faces deportation

A CHARITY worker who fled Rwanda when his family were murdered and set up a new life for himself in Edinburgh today faces being sent back to his homeland.... Click title to read more

27 April 2007

Dundee University a Tool for New Labour

"I had been more than a little disconcerted by what I discovered of the administration of Dundee University since I became Rector two months ago," writes Craig Murray... Click title to read more

26 March 2007

Mouloud Sihali - a draft dodger wrongly accused of terrorism

Mouloud Sihali's appeal against deportation will be heard by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission on Tuesday, March 27th.... Click title to read more

25 March 2007

Lord Carlile publishes review of the definition of terrorism

A report on The Definition of Terrorism by Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, was published on 15 March 2007... Click title to read more

23 March 2007

UN Human Rights experts face curbs

The UN Human Rights Council is currently discussing changes to the Special Procedures through a review to be completed by June 2007. The UN's Special Procedures provide expertise on matters ranging from freedom from torture, arbitrary or extrajudicial executions, "counter-terrorism", racism and violence against women to respect for the rights to health, to food and to adequate housing.... Click title to read more

22 March 2007

Chomsky writes to Hoon

Open letter from Noam Chomsky and others to Geoff Hoon, Minister of State for Europe, calling for an independent investigation into the alleged poisoning of Abdullah Ocalan.... Click title to read more

28 February 2007

Protest Against Removals to the Congo

40 adults and children were removed to DR Congo on Monday evening. On Wednesday 21st February there was a demonstration at the Home Office in Brand Street, Glasgow in support of Angelique and Eduard and all the other families who have been detained in Glasgow.... Click title to read more

26 February 2007

Deportees jailed in Algeria

Two men who were deported from the UK to Algeria last month have been arrested, imprisoned and charged with terrorist activities, despite being assured by Algerian officials in Britain they would face no criminal proceedings. One of the men says that while in the custody of Algeria's security police (DRS), he signed a statement under duress without reading its contents, and that he heard the screams of other prisoners being tortured.... Click title to read more

26 February 2007

SIAC ruling on Abu Qatada puts him at risk of torture

Responding to today's Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) ruling regarding Abu Qatada, Amnesty International says 'Deporting Abu Qatada to Jordan will put him at real risk of torture.'... Click title to read more

19 February 2007

Craig Murray wins Dundee rectorship

Former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray emerged as the new rector of Dundee University following a vote on 16 February.... Click title to read more

13 February 2007

Terror police visit 18 Tayside schools

Tayside Police say that their "terrorism" unit has visited 18 schools in the area to look for signs of "extremism" in school pupils.... Click title to read more

13 February 2007

STUC to debate political monitoring

Dundee TUC is tabling a motion for the STUC Congress calling for Tayside's Special Branch Community Contact Unit to be disbanded.... Click title to read more

12 February 2007

Day 80 of Hunger Strike in Canadas Guantanamo

Message from hunger strikers held without trial in Canada's Guantanamo Bay... Click title to read more

12 February 2007

9/11 survivor visits Scotland

9/11 hero William Rodriguez addressed a well-attended meeting at Glasgow University's Sir Charles Wilson Building on the evening of Saturday 10 February. The meeting followed the Stop the War Conference, which had drawn nearly 500 people to the same building to hear a galaxy of well-known figures speaking throughout the day about the disasatrous Bush-Blair "War on Terror"... Click title to read more

12 February 2007

Yvonne Ridley censored

Speaking at the Stop the War Coalition's Scottish conference in Glasgow on Saturday, Yvonne Ridley said she still had no idea why her highly-regarded "Agenda" programme had be take off the air by the Islam Channel.... Click title to read more

11 February 2007

Birmingham plot - 6th man in court

A man accused of withholding information about an alleged plot to kidnap and kill a British soldier has been remanded in custody. Basiru Gassama, 29, spoke only to give his name and date of birth during the 45-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Five other men, arrested with Mr Gassama during raids in Birmingham, were remanded in custody on Friday.... Click title to read more

11 February 2007

Detainee G loses appeal

Detainee 'G', has lost his appeal against deportation in the Special Immigration Appeals Court (SIAC). The judgment has dismayed human rights groups, who say that 'G' faces torture if returned to Algeria.... Click title to read more

10 February 2007

Muslim charged with speech crime

Abu Izzadeen, the man who gave Home Secretary John Reid a well-deseved heckling at a meeting in East London last September, has been bailed after appearinng in court on "terrorism" charges.... Click title to read more

10 February 2007

Five men on terror plot charges

A man accused of plotting to seize and kill a member of the British armed forces appeared in court yesterday for the first time.... Click title to read more

10 February 2007

UK involved in rendition of Britons to Somalia

Reprieve has learned that four British nationals (Shahajan Janjua, Reza Afsharzadagen, Mohammed Ezzoueck and Hamza Chentouf) were rendered from Kenya to Somalia on the morning of the 10th of February 2006, where they are being held in an undisclosed detention centre. Reprieve is concerned that they face torture unless the UK government acts immediately to ensure their safe return home... Click title to read more

08 February 2007

Birmingham kidnap suspect speaks out

One of the men arrested during the Birmingham terror raids launched a blistering attack last night on the authorities for the way he was seized, held for a week and questioned for barely four hours about apparently trivial matters.... Click title to read more

08 February 2007

Babar Ahmad complaints whitewashed

The family of Babar Ahmad are disappointed, but not surprised, by the latest IPCC report which concluded that a series of complaints by Babar Ahmad were "unsubstantiated". They have described the report as a "whitewash"... Click title to read more

02 February 2007

Masri case - Germany to prosecute CIA agents

German prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for thirteen CIA operatives linked to the kidnapping and torture of German citizen Khaled El-Masri.... Click title to read more

27 January 2007

detention of children at Dungavel unlawful

After a court ruled on several test cases, the treatment of children in refugee detention centres was declared unlawful, after years of campaigning that centred on Dungavel.... Click title to read more

27 January 2007

500,000 demonstrate in New York

On 27 January, 500,000 protestors marched on Washington to say Bring the Troops Home Now. Many thousands more joined protests held in towns and cities across America.... Click title to read more

26 January 2007

First ruling on terrorism

A High Court judge has delivered the first decision on the meaning of 'terrorism' in the government's new anti-terrorist legislation. He has ruled that it includes assistance for regime change irrespective of the nature of the regime... Click title to read more

26 January 2007

Home Office publishes Borders Bill

Home office announces "new powers boost Immigration Officers power to protect UK borders"... Click title to read more

26 January 2007

Fears for men deported to Algeria

Amnesty International says it is 'deeply concerned' about the safety of two Algerian men - known as 'Q' and 'K' - deported from the UK to Algeria in recent days, after they were arrested by the Algerian security services.... Click title to read more

24 January 2007

Terrorism - charities are not the problem

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published a report criticising the Government's approach to the threat of terrorist abuse of charities, claiming it is ineffective and counterproductive.... Click title to read more

23 January 2007

100,000 mourn Hirant Dink

More than 100,000 mourners marched Tuesday in a funeral for a slain ethnic Armenian journalist who had angered Turkish nationalists — an extraordinary outpouring of support for freedom of expression and reconciliation.... Click title to read more

22 January 2007

Brian Haw wins right to protest

Anti-war protester Brian Haw has won his latest legal battle to maintain his demonstration in Parliament Square.... Click title to read more

20 January 2007

Return of Algerian Refugees

Statement from Gareth Peirce - Each is choosing a quick death there rather than an endless slow death here.... Click title to read more

19 January 2007

Guantanamo report flawed

Reprieve says report on Guantanamo is based on a show visit... Click title to read more

19 January 2007

Turkish-Armenian writer assassinated

A prominent Turkish-Armenian editor, convicted in 2005 of insulting Turkish identity, has been shot dead outside his newspaper's office in Istanbul.... Click title to read more

16 January 2007

Algeria: Human rights lawyers on trial

On the eve of the start of the trial of two human rights lawyers in an Algiers court on 17 January 2007, Amnesty International reiterates its concern that they face imprisonment because of their advocacy work... Click title to read more

13 January 2007

Scotland joins Guantanamo protests

MSPs, campaigning groups and individuals pledged at a meeting held in Scottish Parliament today to press for the closure of the the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay.... Click title to read more

13 January 2007

International Day of Action

Asif Iqbal and Deghayes family in Cuba - Reports from around the world of the International day of Action to close Guantanamo.... Click title to read more

12 January 2007

Close Guantanamo - Resolution at Holyrood

Resolution calling oro the closure of Guantanamo Bay, tabled by Tommy Sherdan on 11 January 2007, the 5th anniversary of the arrival of the first prisoners at Guantanamo.... Click title to read more


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