Carlile attacks Algerian terror victims

A fresh attempt is being made to demonise the Algerian men arrested on terrorism charges in the winter of 2002, and released without charge a year letter. First time around, the men fell victim to a stunt designed to popularise the impending invasion of Iraq. Now they're being used to revive Blair's discredited anti-terrorism policy.

Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, is now arguing for a 90-day pre-charge detention period - proposal that MPs rejeted last year. He says evidence could have been gathered to pursue cases against the north African men if the authorities had not been forced to release them.

But lawyer Aamer Anwar, who acted for some of the men, denounced the comments as "an outrageous slur" against his clients. "Lord Carlile should really check his facts before he opens his mouth. Some of these men were kept in custody. But there was no evidence to show they were implicated in planning a terrorist act... the men were innocent."

He added "Three years on and these men are still being slandered. Their lives have been destroyed and they have been traumatised."

He said some of them were living in Scotland and others elsewhere in the UK. Some had been given leave to remain by the Home Office while others were going through the asylum and immigration process.
Article in The Herald