Liberty - Protecting civil liberties, promoting human rights

Director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti said: “It’s time we told the USA that they are either with us or against us in the defense of democratic values including our abhorrence of torture. Secretary Rice’s ambiguous comments about torture are disturbing in light of the USA’s cover-up of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison. There is no compromise between fighting terrorism and condemning torture because torture will never make us safer.”

Last week, Liberty called on Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and the Police Chief Constables of Bedfordshire, Dorset, Essex, Hampshire, the Metropolitan Police, the Ministry of Defence Police, Suffolk, Sussex, Thames Valley, and West Midlands to seek assurances by 14 December 2005 from the USA that it is not using UK airports to transport suspects to countries that torture.
Liberty’s call to action against extraordinary rendition marks the launch of its No torture, No compromise campaign which seeks to make the UK government honour its positive obligation to stop torture and ill-treatment.

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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Andrew Tyrie MP today launches the All Parliamentary Subject Group on extraordinary rendition which will investigate claims that CIA planes have been touching down at British airfields carrying terrorist suspects.
2. The Guardian revealed on 12 September 2005 that airports in Biggin Hill, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brize Norton, Farnborough, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, RAF Mildenhall, Northolt, and Stansted have allowed CIA or CIA-chartered jets to land temporarily. These aircraft had flown into the UK approximately 210 times since 2001.