Rights group sues UK over rendition

Human rights group Reprieve announced July 28 that it is suing the British government over the 2002 "rendition" of Mohammed Saad Iqbal Madni from Indonesia to Egypt. The group alleges that the UK allowed the US rendition flight of Madni to stop on the British island territory of Diego Garcia, where the Pentagon has an air base. Madni says he was tortured with cattle prods for three months in Egypt, then sent to Guantánamo Bay, where he was held for six years before being released last August without having been charged.

Reprieve seeks disclosure from both the UK and Diego Garcia governments of all information on Madni's treatment and Deigo Garcia's involvement in US "renditions" of terrorism suspects. It said the information was necessary for Madni to seek monetary damages from the government for what Reprieve said was the UK's complicity in his abuse.

Shortly after Madni's release, Pakistan's ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani sought the release of all Pakistani detainees held at Guantánamo, so that the country's judicial system could handle the detainees. Later that month, a Pakistani delegation was denied access to detainees held at Guantanamo. Madni does not face any charges in the US or Pakistan. (Jurist, NYT, July 28)

See our last post on Gitmo and the torture scandal.

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