Rendition victims challenge decision not to prosecute MI6 officer – The Guardian

‘Lawyers representing a Libyan husband and wife who were kidnapped and flown to one of Muammar Gaddafi’s prisons are seeking to overturn a decision that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute a former MI6 officer for his alleged role.’

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The Guardian, 11th September 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Battle to stop Jack Straw facing Libya rendition charges – The Guardian

‘The government has spent at least £600,000 of taxpayers’ money trying to prevent a civil case being brought against it by a husband and wife who allege that British intelligence was complicit in their detention, rendition and torture.’

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The Guardian, 26th June 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Crown Prosecution Service statement: Operation Lydd – CPS News Brief

‘The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has considered a file of evidence from the Metropolitan Police relating to one suspect in connection with allegations made concerning the movement and alleged ill treatment of Abdel Hakim Belhadj and his wife, Fatima Boudchar, and Sami Al Saadi and his wife and children from countries in South East Asia to Libya in 2004.’

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CPS News Brief, 9th June 2016

Source: http://blog.cps.gov.uk

The Round-up: companies off the hook for human rights abuses? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The UK government is letting companies “off the hook” for human rights abuses, according to Amnesty International.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th February 2016

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK ties with Gaddafi were like ‘a criminal conspiracy’, high court hears – The Guardian

Posted December 17th, 2015 in closed material, conspiracy, intelligence services, Libya, news, rendition, trials by tracey

‘The relationship that the British security services forged with Muammar Gaddafi’s regime a decade ago amounted to “a criminal conspiracy with a foreign dictator”, according to evidence before the high court, where a dozen Libyan dissidents who were subsequently targeted by the British authorities are bringing a claim for damages.’

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The Guardian, 16th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Jack Straw and senior spy could avoid torture prosecution – The Guardian

‘The former foreign secretary Jack Straw and Sir Mark Allen, a former senior MI6 officer, could avoid prosecution over complicity in the rendition and torture of two Libyan dissidents by claiming immunity, the supreme court has been told.’

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The Guardian, 11th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK Guantanamo detainee Shaker Aamer to be released – BBC News

Posted September 28th, 2015 in detention, news, prisons, rendition, terrorism, torture by sally

‘The last British resident being held in Guantanamo Bay is to be returned to the UK, the government has said.’

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BBC News, 25th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Time to End the Time Debate – Panopticon

Posted July 27th, 2015 in freedom of information, news, public interest, rendition by sally

‘The apparently endless APPGER litigation has produced yet another decision of the Upper Tribunal for seasoned FOIA watchers, which amongst some very fact-specific issues, also contains two important clarifications of law: APPGER v ICO & FCO [2015] UKUT 377 (AAC).’

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Panopticon, 23rd July 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Government should address core Libya rendition allegations, judge rules – The Guardian

‘The government should address the core allegations of 12 claimants who say they were kidnapped, tortured, subject to control orders or tricked into travelling to Libya where they were detained or mistreated, a high court judge has said.’

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The Guardian, 1st July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Libyan Rendition, Human Rights Week 2014 and the Naked Rambler – Human Rights Roundup – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Libyan Rendition, Human Rights Week 2014 and the Naked Rambler – Human Rights Roundup.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 1st December 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Unlawful detention: UK government ‘can be sued’, court rules – BBC News

Posted November 20th, 2014 in detention, jurisdiction, news, rendition, state immunity, torture by tracey

‘A Pakistani man can sue the UK government over claims he was unlawfully detained and tortured by British soldiers in Iraq, the High Court has ruled. Yunus Rahmatullah was captured in 2004, then sent from British to US custody and held for 10 years without charge.’

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BBC News, 19th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Angela Patrick: Suing the state: judicial competence, restraint and redress in Belhadj – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The coverage of last week’s Court of Appeal’s decision in Belhadj & Or. v Straw & Ors [2014] EWCA Civ 1394 has thus far generated more political heat than legal light. When a claim involves the suit of named officials and former Ministers for their alleged role in the rendition of a major political figure in the new Libya and his family to face torture under the Gaddafi regime, this is perhaps understandable. In a week where the Government – in the context of this claim – has conceded that it must disclose certain of its policies on surveillance and legal professional privilege, it is unsurprising that the press has had little time to digest the detail of this judgment.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 7th November 2014

Source: http://ukconstitutionallaw.org/blog/

Government on Trial – BBC Law in Action

‘The Appeal Court has allowed a Libyan man to proceed with legal action against the British government, despite the government’s claim that the case could damage relations with the United States. Joshua Rozenberg discusses the implications.’

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BBC Law in Action, 4th November 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Abdel Hakim Belhaj wins right to day in court over his kidnap by MI6 and CIA – The Guardian

Posted October 30th, 2014 in appeals, intelligence services, kidnapping, Libya, news, rendition, torture, trials by sally

‘A Libyan exile who was abducted in a joint MI6-CIA operation has won the right to bring his claim against the government to court.’

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The Guardian, 30th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government wants impunity from UK courts over torture, judges told – The Guardian

Posted July 22nd, 2014 in immunity, intelligence services, news, rendition, torture by sally

‘The government is determined to prevent ministers and officials from being accountable to the courts for colluding in wrongdoing abroad even if it involves torture, three of the country’s most senior judges were warned on Monday.’

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The Guardian, 21st July 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Abdul Hakim Belhaj rendition damages case at Appeal Court – BBC News

Posted July 21st, 2014 in appeals, intelligence services, Libya, news, rendition, torture by sally

‘A damages action brought against the UK over a 2004 rendition case involving a Libyan politician and his wife is being heard at the Court of Appeal later.’

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BBC News, 21st July 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rendition to Libya an “act of state” and therefore non-justiciable – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Belhaj and another v Straw and Others [2013] EWHC 4111 (QB) 20 December 2013. The High Court has struck out claims against British establishment defendants for “unlawful rendition”. The doctrine of immunity attaching to an act of state is total bar to that such claims and is not limited by the gravity of the alleged violation of rights.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 14th January 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK ‘was inappropriately involved in rendition’ – BBC News

Posted December 19th, 2013 in inquiries, intelligence services, news, rendition, reports, select committees, terrorism by tracey

‘There is evidence Britain was inappropriately involved in the rendition and ill-treatment of terror suspects, an inquiry has revealed.’

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BBC News, 19th December 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK inquiry on rendition and torture to be handed to ISC – The Guardian

Posted December 19th, 2013 in inquiries, intelligence services, news, rendition, select committees, torture by tracey

‘The stalled official inquiry into the UK’s involvement in rendition and torture in the years after 9/11 is to be handed to the controversial intelligence and security committee (ISC), the government will announce on Thursday.’

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The Guardian, 18th December 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

APPGER in the Upper Tribunal – Panopticon

Posted November 25th, 2013 in appeals, freedom of information, human rights, news, rendition, tribunals by tracey

‘The Upper Tribunal has finally handed down its judgment in All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition v IC & Foreign and Commonwealth Office [2013] UKUT 560 (AAC). It is a judgment of Charles and Burnett JJ and Judge Wikeley. The appeal was from an FTT judgment which is analysed in detail by Rachel Kamm here. That post also contains the background to the case. In essence, the request was made by the APPGER for information relating to the participation of the UK in the practice of extraordinary rendition.’

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Panopticon, 22nd November 2013

Source: www.panopticonblog.com