Buried alive in concrete
coffins...
The appalling crimes committed by Ian Huntley which
caused public outcry and attracted extensive media attention are
still fresh in our minds. Huntley has now been incarcerated in
Belmarsh maximum security prison for murdering two defenceless
children in cold blood. This monster of a man was tried by a jury
and given the opportunity to mount a defence whilst media abstained
from judgement until his guilt was firmly established.
This stands in stark contrast to the fourteen Muslims who have been
detained for more than two years and face indefinite imprisonment
without charge or access to trial with very little, if any, media
coverage.
On December 14th 2001, the Terrorism Act was passed allowing
indefinite detention of foreign nationals labelled as “suspected
terrorists”, without access to due legal process. In order to
legitimise this travesty of justice, the UK had to derogate from
Article 5(1) of the European Convention of Human Rights by declaring
a national state of emergency. Since the advent of the Terrorism Act
more than 520 Muslims have been arrested, although less than 1% of
them have been convicted of any crime.
In the post September 11th era Muslims have faced religious
discrimination, losing their civil liberties and being forced to
choose between faith and citizenship. Inevitably this has led to
withering trust in the already maligned police and security
services. This is further fuelled by the treatment of the arrested
by these forces. Many have been the victims of beatings, humiliation
in front of their families and ridicule of their religion. This
mafia style policing has taken place in a democratic society whose
judicial system is supposedly based on a presumption of innocent
until proven guilty.
Furthermore, serious questions have been raised about the basis and
reliability of unjust and indefinite detentions against foreign
nationals. To put this in perspective, what possible threat could a
physically and mentally ill stateless Palestinian pose to national
security? 'G', a polio sufferer, was seized five days after
the introduction of the act. Since his incarceration, he has lost
the use of his legs and is now confined to a wheelchair. Independent
doctors have recommended that he should be released, although this
has been denied by the government. Even a judge reviewing his case
commented that he had been “neglected and allowed to rot” (Amnesty
International). Due to his medical condition and lack of treatment
his weight has dropped to 47kg (7 stones)! How could a civilised
regime inflict such selective barbaric treatment?
Another case details the conditions of a detainee being held in a
special secure unit where he was allowed out of his cell for only
one hour per day. Due to the lack of natural light his eyesight
deteriorated and to this day he remains in constant pain due to the
restrictions upon his movement. The fact that these detainees see no
end to their treatment makes their situation all the more
unbearable. Furthermore, Amnesty exposed the fact that both of these
individuals had been arrested based on evidence extracted by
torturing a third party. None of these men or their solicitors have
access to this evidence.
The collapse in judicial process subjects these men and their
families to sever mental and physical torture. The families are
helpless with no means of support living on the border of
destitution. One of the detainees has been separated from his son
since birth.
In spite of these grave concerns the Home Secretary has recently
been reported as suggesting the introduction of wider internment
measures, empowering the government to detain British nationals,
tried with secret intelligence which they would be allowed to
contest. Burden of proof in such cases could be lowered allowing
judges to convict suspects assuming they are guilty "on a balance of
probabilities".
No juries? No presumption of innocence? No defence lawyers or trials
held in public? Vetted Judges? Ironically this is proposed in a "war
against terror" waged in the name of freedom and liberty.
Even the Newton Committee of privy councillors, who were charged
specifically with the responsibility of reviewing the
Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, recommended an urgent repeal
of the powers which allowed non-UK nationals to be detained
indefinitely.
These cases can only be resolved either by releasing these men or
charging them with recognisable criminal offences and trying them
via an open, accountable and transparent judicial process.
At a time when the whole issue of the reliability of intelligence
and whether its applications were politically compromised are bought
to question internationally, we are informed that anyone labelled as
a “suspected terrorist” may be tried by government selected judges.
It is astonishing that such events can take place in a country which
prides itself on justice, equality and rule of law. It would be
wholly unjust to such suggest that Ian Huntley should not have had
access to fair trial – he was considered innocent until proven
guilty. Does this same principle not apply to Muslims?
Some communities have taken it upon themselves to campaign against
these injustices and vindicate this community of such prejudice. In
Luton, a Shura committee has been established campaigning for the
release or at least, trial, of two local Muslims who have been
detained for over two years without any charges against them. This
drive has made use of local MP’s, petitions and leaflets in a quest
to increase awareness of these unjust detainments. The committee has
also managed to arrange media interviews with families of the
detained and are networking closely with mosques in the locality. It
is hoped that by increasing awareness, sufficient pressure will be
built to force the authorities to review their stance. It is clear
that inadequate attention and pressure from the Muslim Community has
allowed the boldness of those in authority to grow unabated, hence
the need for all communities across the UK to gather and unite with
one voice actively challenging these draconian anti-terror laws. |
%20enjoins%20justice.gif)
