Liberty - Protecting civil liberties, promoting human rights

Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, said:

“We welcome today’s announcement that there will finally be a criminal investigation into Binyam Mohammed’s kidnap and torture. Whilst many will see the Attorney General’s announcement as coming better late than never, the five month delay in reporting such a serious suspected offence to the police is far from an ideal example of respect for the law.

We look forward to the Metropolitan Police investigation into this particular case but the wider public interest still requires a full judicial inquiry into all British involvement in extraordinary rendition.”

Contact: Bridget Beale on 020 7378 3677 or 07973 831 128 Notes to Editors

1) The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, has been considering the allegations of British involvement in extraordinary rendition in this case for five months to date.

2) Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes torture an offence, anywhere in the world. The offence may either be committed by a public official or someone acting in an official capacity, or by someone else acting at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or someone acting in an official capacity. It follows that aiding, abetting, counseling or procuring torture anywhere in the world or conspiring to do so are also offences under British law.

3) Mr Mohamed was arrested in Pakistan in April 2002, and transferred to Morocco in July of that year before being moved to Kabul, a US military prison and finally Guantanamo. Whilst in Morocco, Mr Mohamed claims that his interrogators used personal information they could have only received from the British authorities. This included detailed information about his life in the UK, people he knew and his education. He was also shown photographs which his interrogators told him had been provided by MI5. Correspondence between MI5 and the US – which has been released as part of a high court judgement - seems to support these claims.