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Protest to say - NO to indefinite imprisonment

Campaign against Criminalising Communities | 12.07.2002 13:19

Say no to indefinite imprisonment join the protest on 17th July: Details at bottom of article.

THE DEMAND

We demand the immediate release of political prisoners held indefinitely without charge under oppressive ‘anti-terrorist’ legislation. Here are some of the reasons why:

Illegitimate law
They are interned under an illegitimate law, the anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act (ATCSA) 2201, which authorises unlimited administrative detention of foreign nationals without criminal charge. The basic ancient right of Habeas Corpus has been suspended. This means the UK has derogated from the Human Rights Act.

Fake “state of emergency”
This infringement of basic rights is possible only because the UK government has declared a “public emergency affecting the life of the whole nation”, despite official acknowledgements that there is no terrorist threat to the UK. The government has failed to explain why it alone in Europe has taken these extraordinary measures, without any evidence of threat. Two internees have been released for voluntary deportation to France and Morocco, where they are subject to no legal proceedings or internment, even though the UK had treated them as international terrorists.

Racist Asylum Agenda
None of the internees are alleged to be involved in the September 11th attacks. But the government associates them with the “agenda of Osama Bin Laden”, i.e. as anti-American Muslims. All the internees cannot lawfully be returned to their countries of origin because the Home Office accepts they will be subject to inhumane treatment. Yet they are thrown into prison here rather than being given protection. Like Irish and Black people previously, these internees are treated as terrorists until proven innocent. The ‘anti-terrorist’ law is deeply racist, entrenching anti-Muslim prejudices and paranoia.

Harsh Conditions
All the detainees are held in maximum secure prisons with severe restrictions on space, sunlight, visiting association etc. These prisons have been described as, “concrete coffins” by lawyer Gareth Pierce. Such treatment endangers the physical and mental health of the internees. Some have already been subjected to torture and ill-treatment in other countries.

Terrorising dissent
Internment is clearly intended to deter political activity and dissent by foreigners in the UK. It intimidates the prisoners, their families, associates and indeed entire communities – who are left wondering who will be next.

Infinite Injustice
When President Bush launched the ‘War on Terror’ last year, he called it Operation Infinite Justice. This turned out to mean state terrorism which hands out infinite injustice. Internment is one of the may hidden injustices in this so-called ‘war’ and must be resisted.

Secret evidence
The internment will be challenged at a special hearing of a special Commission, where much of the government’s evidence will be heard in secret – not disclosed to the internees or their lawyers. The internees themselves are not even allowed to attend. This procedure inherently abuses the judicial process, especially by treating the internees as guilty until proven innocent.

HISTORY

For many centuries the people have fought to defend the right of Habeas Corpus. This means that anyone’s detention has to be justified by a criminal charge, with evidence to be heard and tested in open court. In the 16the century however, the notorious ‘star chamber’ circumvented common-law judicial procedures, especially safeguards for individual liberty from arbitrary imprisonment. This special court was abolished by the Long Parliament in the English Revolution.

Britain today has another star chamber called the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. It is authorised to hear evidence, which is heard in closed session and remains secret, beyond challenge. During 17th-20th July the Home Office will present secret evidence attempting to justify why Britain should continue to intern seven anonymous people still without any criminal charge.

They are interned under the ATCSA 2001. A racist law, which authorises the Home Office to breach the right of Habeas Corpus. Any foreign national can be detained for an indefinite period if he poses a threat to public safety but cannot be safely returned to the country of origin. Since December several Muslims have been interned, supposedly because the UK faces a “public emergency” from terrorist threats.

Lawyers have fought hard for a judicial procedure to release the detainees. On the 17th July, lawyers will finally be allowed to challenge the indefinite internment as a breach of human rights. This hearing must have a public scrutiny. It should be used to challenge secret evidence and illegitimate detentions.

Picket the star chamber
Free the seven anonymous internees!

Wednesday, 17th July 2002 @ 9am
Special Immigration Appeals Commission
15-25 Field House
Breams Building
(Off Chancery Lane)
Nearest tube Chancery Lane

Campaign against Criminalising Communities
- Homepage: www.cacc.org.uk

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A name for one of those detainees

12.07.2002 15:14

From AI's Stop Toture website:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amnesty International is concerned that the conditions of detention in which Mahmoud
Abu Rideh is currently being held amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and
that he is at serious risk of taking his own life.

Mahmoud Abu Rideh is currently being held at Belmarsh Prison in London. He was
arrested in London on 19 December 2001 under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security
Act (ATCSA) 2001. As a category A detainee, Mahmoud Abu Rideh has been held in
detention conditions that fall short of many basic rights recognized by international
standards, such as the right to have adequate opportunities to exercise and work, and
the right to adequate physical and mental health care.

In 1997, he was granted refugee status as a torture victim and diagnosed as suffering
from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. His mental and physical health have
seriously deteriorated since his detention. At a bailing hearing brought by Mahmoud
Abu Rideh on 24 June 2002 before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) --
the tribunal empowered under the ATCSA 2001 to grant bail applications, review and
hear appeal challenges to the detention order -- Amnesty International heard detailed
expert testimony as to his mental and physical health. In addition, Amnesty
International's representatives visited Mahmoud Abu Rideh at Belmarsh Prison on 26
June 2002.

According to the evidence from the hearing and the visit, Mahmoud Abu Rideh complains
of frequent flashbacks of his torture. According to the medical evidence presented to
SIAC, these flashbacks are triggered by the fact that he is currently detained in
Belmarsh Prison in very harsh conditions. He is suicidal and has been involved in
frequent and repeated incidents in which he has harmed himself. He has lost a
substantial amount of weight as a result of his refusal to take prison food. He is
currently surviving solely on small daily fluid intakes and the little food that he
accepts from the other ATCSA detainees. He has been suffering from lower back pain for
years, including sciatica, and his condition has deteriorated since his arrest. As a
result, he is currently confined to a wheelchair. On a daily basis, like the other
ATCSA detainees, he is locked up in his cell for 22 hours a day. He is not, however,
actually taking advantage of the two remaining hours to spend time out!
side his cell because he is too weak to go out.

Due to his current mental and physical state, Mahmoud Abu Rideh could only be a threat
to himself. The mental and physical health care provided to him at Belmarsh Prison is
seriously inadequate. In addition, his ability to instruct his legal representatives
has been seriously undermined by the severe deterioration in his mental and physical
health.

Despite the wealth of evidence presented at the bail hearing that Mahmoud Abu Rideh
could conceivably take his own life as a result of his current detention at Belmarsh
Prison, Mr Justice Collins refused him bail to a medium to low level secure mental
hospital as his legal representatives had requested.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take action either by visiting  http://www.stoptorture.org/ or writing to David Blunkett. You can email him at  public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk or write to:

Rt Hon David Blunkett MP
Secretary of State for Home Affairs
The Home Office
50 Queen Anne's Gate
SW1H 9AT
London
United Kingdom

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:
- expressing concern that the detention conditions in which Mahmoud Abu Rideh is
currently being held amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and that he is
at serious risk of taking his own life;
- expressing concern that Mahmoud Abu Rideh, a Palestinian refugee and a torture
victim, has been detained without charge or trial since his arrest on 19 December
2001;
- calling for the release of Mahmoud Abu Rideh from detention at Belmarsh Prison and
his transfer to a low level secure mental hospital where adequate medical care can be
provided to him.

Dunc