http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/12/02/in-the-guardian-the-end-of-secret-evidence/ Investigative journalist, author, filmmaker and Guantanamo expert Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:54:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/12/02/in-the-guardian-the-end-of-secret-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-52230 Ann Alexander Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:49:42 +0000 http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/?p=6274#comment-52230 Thanks for drawing attention, Andy, to the victory hard won for the men under immigration bail. Some of these men were imprisoned without charge or trial at the end of 2001 (nearly 9 years ago). They were never questioned by police or security services. I often wonder if these particular men were chosen as they were foreign nationals who few knew or found sympathy with and to the shame of the media, these men were demonised over the years. Some had sought refuge in the UK having fled their own countries after spending time in the torture chambers there. Pity help them that they thought that the UK was reknowned for human rights. After being released from Belmarsh on control orders, they lived half lives with their families until, after the horror of 7/7, when Bliar changed the "rules of the game", these men were used as scapegoats, and re-arrested for deportation. Very hand really as the security services knew where they were as they had been under constant surveillance in the months of their release. One was taken from his psychiatric hospital bed where he had been since his release from Belmarsh and Broadmoor. He had been sent to Broadmoor when his mental health collapsed under 23 hour solitary confinement. Eventually released under immigration bail, these men returned to their wives who all suffered clinical depression due to the treatment handed out by the Home Office. All these men have ever asked for is a fair trial where they would get the chance to clear their names. Time will tell. Let's hope we are nearing the end of this country's shameful decade but somehow I doubt it. Meantime I am sure the dark forces will already have worked out their next plan for these hostages, keeping them in cold storage until used again to appease the British public. Thanks for drawing attention, Andy, to the victory hard won for the men under immigration bail.
Some of these men were imprisoned without charge or trial at the end of 2001 (nearly 9 years ago). They were never questioned by police or security services. I often wonder if these particular men were chosen as they were foreign nationals who few knew or found sympathy with and to the shame of the media, these men were demonised over the years. Some had sought refuge in the UK having fled their own countries after spending time in the torture chambers there. Pity help them that they thought that the UK was reknowned for human rights.
After being released from Belmarsh on control orders, they lived half lives with their families until, after the horror of 7/7, when Bliar changed the “rules of the game”, these men were used as scapegoats, and re-arrested for deportation. Very hand really as the security services knew where they were as they had been under constant surveillance in the months of their release. One was taken from his psychiatric hospital bed where he had been since his release from Belmarsh and Broadmoor. He had been sent to Broadmoor when his mental health collapsed under 23 hour solitary confinement.
Eventually released under immigration bail, these men returned to their wives who all suffered clinical depression due to the treatment handed out by the Home Office.
All these men have ever asked for is a fair trial where they would get the chance to clear their names. Time will tell.
Let’s hope we are nearing the end of this country’s shameful decade but somehow I doubt it. Meantime I am sure the dark forces will already have worked out their next plan for these hostages, keeping them in cold storage until used again to appease the British public.

]]> http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/2009/12/02/in-the-guardian-the-end-of-secret-evidence/comment-page-1/#comment-52226 Will Shirley Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:10:47 +0000 http://www.andyworthington.co.uk/?p=6274#comment-52226 We become more and more isolated in the Western World. Like Pakistan we cling to our nukes and our torture chambers, ignoring the safety of our people, oblivious to everything but the lure of cash and the myth of social Darwinism. Meanwhile our children become more and more hooked on video and computer games, our middle class disappears, and our freedoms leak away as Obama becomes Bush and Amerika becomes post-war Germany. When all of the Western world is on one side with civil liberties and rule of law and we are on the other side with secret police, torture chambers and secret courts issuing "execute" orders who will speak for civil rights and essential freedoms? Britain? Hardly! Maybe Scandinavia...Who will be our Hitler? He will be a Republicrat at any rate. I have my passport ready. We become more and more isolated in the Western World. Like Pakistan we cling to our nukes and our torture chambers, ignoring the safety of our people, oblivious to everything but the lure of cash and the myth of social Darwinism. Meanwhile our children become more and more hooked on video and computer games, our middle class disappears, and our freedoms leak away as Obama becomes Bush and Amerika becomes post-war Germany. When all of the Western world is on one side with civil liberties and rule of law and we are on the other side with secret police, torture chambers and secret courts issuing “execute” orders who will speak for civil rights and essential freedoms? Britain? Hardly! Maybe Scandinavia…Who will be our Hitler? He will be a Republicrat at any rate. I have my passport ready.

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