Comments on: Home Secretary ignores Court decision, kidnaps bailed men and imprisons them in Belmarsh

By: Calling Time On The Use Of Secret Evidence In The UK by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:17:30 +0000

[...] she took the law into her own hands. As I explained at the time, in an article entitled, “Home Secretary ignores Court decision, kidnaps bailed men and imprisons them in Belmarsh,” [W]hen the two men who attended the hearing — U and VV — were driven away from the court, [...]

By: Christine Bullivant

Christine Bullivant — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:40:43 +0000

even after all this time since my son’s release from his control order we are still unable to live normal lives… Kaleem is still unable to have a bank account, a basic need in our society. the years of high level stress have had the severe impact on my health to the degree that I have been unable to work or indeed maintain normal patterns of living. this now means that my job is in jeopardy and I am at risk of losing my home. My son, as a young man marked with the terrorism label is someone living in a society with no hope in the present of a future. Who will offer him a career, security financially and the certainty of having the same rights as his contemporaries? 3 times he gave this government a bloody nose and for standing up for himself and winning both the breach of control order case & challenging the control orders placed upon him his future is restricted by stealth, ie the blocking of opportunities and basic needs that would enable him to build a future in our society. As a qualified teacher of english as a foreign language what do you think think his chances are of securing employment within the UK? Why would he want to live & work here? He is still subjected to abuse from members of the public who recognise him from the publicity when he absconded but are unaware that he has been completely exonerated. though he may have had is day in court and won the persecution is still ongoing…for all of us!

By: Britain’s Guantánamo: Fact or Fiction? by Andy Worthington « Dandelion Salad

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 09:08:18 +0000

[...] 2009), Ex-Guantánamo prisoner refused entry into UK, held in deportation centre (February 2009), Home Secretary ignores Court decision, kidnaps bailed men and imprisons them in Belmarsh (February 2009), Britain’s insane secret terror evidence (March [...]

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 00:11:08 +0000

If anyone thought this was just happening in the UK, here’s a press release from Sophie Harkat, wife of Canadian “Security Certificate Detainee” Mohamed Harkat, who has endured six years of imprisonment without charge or trial, house arrest under intolerable conditions, all underpinned by secret evidence and the use of Special Advocates. For more, see:
http://www.justiceforharkat.com

Security Certificate Detainee Mohamed Harkat, his wife Sophie Harkat and public counsel Matthew Webber react to new conditions of release

Mr. Harkat has asked Justice Noël for a change in the strict conditions of release, particularly for the right to stay home alone and have longer outings. He now must be supervised both inside and outside the house at all times, with most of the supervision provided by his wife, Sophie.

Sophie Harkat has given up her liberty and freedom to stay at home with her husband. “I am devastated and outraged,” she said. “We’ve been prisoners in our home for almost 3 years and under constant surveillance by the Canadian Border Services Agency watching our every move. I am a full time jailer to my husband and I feel my husband is paying with his life, he’s never been charged or seen the secret evidence presented by CSIS.” Harkat’s effort to change the conditions of release is but one aspect of his case. The struggle to prevent his deportation to torture and the battle to clear his name also continues.

Six years and three months ago, on December 10th, 2002, Mohamed Harkat was arrested under a Security Certificate without ever being charged or seeing the evidence against him. CSIS claims Mohamed is a security threat and cannot show any evidence in order to protect national security. Mohamed spent 43 months in detention without charge (one year in solitary), including at the Guantánamo North prison in the Kingston area. He was later released on condition on June 21st of 2006 under the toughest conditions in Canadian history. He is forced to wear a GPS ankle bracelet/monitor at all times, be supervised 24 hours a day inside and outside the home, have 2 surveillance cameras inside the residence, have his mail intercepted and phone taped, the computer is under lock, all visitors to the residence and locations he visits must be pre-approved by CBSA, he is only allowed three outings per week for a maximum of 4 hours in the company of a supervising surety and followed by CBSA officers wearing bullet proof vests, carrying weapons in police cruisers, a few from a long list of most stringent conditions ever imposed. They have been under house arrest for almost three years and the inhumane conditions affects everyone around them, especially family members.

Media contacts:
Norm Boxall (public counsel for Mohamed Harkat): 613-236-0535
Matt Webber (public counsel for Mohamed Harkat): 613-296-2544
Christian Legeais from The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee: 613-276-9102

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:44:55 +0000

Here’s the Socialist Worker’s take on the story, with input from Gareth and me:
http://socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=17290

By: Connie L. Nash

Connie L. Nash — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:32:53 +0000

UK-US-IRAQI Detainee Updates (includes Calendar (UK) for easy sending; an item on Khadr (Canada); Call for Special Prosecutor (US) with link for signing; A Findlaw, Harvard & Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) US Paper

http://oneheartforpeace.blogspot.com/2009/03/detainee-updates-uk-us-iraq.html

By: Our Holy Emperors « Ten Percent

Our Holy Emperors « Ten Percent — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:26:33 +0000

[...] have overcome the mundane needs of us little people to ask they be part of ’society’- The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, appears to have declared war on the government’s own secret terror court, overruling decisions [...]

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:56:38 +0000

Hi Eleanor,
Thanks for the kind words. Always good to hear from you — and thanks for posting on Care2, where there seems to be a large community of readers who are concerned about the erosion of human rights.

By: Eleanor Boyd

Eleanor Boyd — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 21:43:22 +0000

Dear Andy
Thanks for this brilliant article. I posted it on Care2 and there has been a good response. Put it on facebook as well but not sure so much how to publicise it there.

By: Andy Worthington

Andy Worthington — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:04:29 +0000

Nell,
Jarallah was deported and is now back in Qatar, but I have no further information about whether his detention in the UK was coincidental. I have to say, however, that the timing seems suspicious to me. I’ll try and find out more.

For other readers, the story of Jarallah’s detention is here:
http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/02/25/ex-guantanamo-prisoner-refused-entry-into-uk-held-in-deportation-centre/
And I’ll be posting an article about Ali al-Marri tomorrow.