David Davis MP–a supporter of liberty and articulate critic of the erosion of our ancient freedoms–spoke in Parliament today of what he believes is a clear case of “passive rendition”. He accuses the intelligence apparatus of allowing a terrorist to leave the country for Pakistan and then ‘suggesting’ to the Pakistani intelligence service (the ISI) that he be interrograted. They also supply a list of questions to be put to the victim– a man named Rangzieb Ahmed. The key points made my Mr Davis are below:
- In 2005 – 2006, Rangzieb Ahmed was under surveillance in this country. During this time, evidence was collected that would later convict him.
- Despite authorities having evidence that would later convict him, he was let to go first to Dubai and then Pakistan.
- When Rangzieb Ahemd visited Pakistan, the British intelligence services wrote to the ISI suggesting they arrest him.
- The ISI arrested Rangzieb Ahemd on the 20th August 2006.
- Manchester Police and MI5 collated questions to be put to him.
- “Rangzieb Ahmed was viciously tortured by the ISI. He says, among other things, that he was beaten with wooden staves the size of cricket stumps and whipped with a 3ft length of tyre rubber nailed to a wooden handle, and that three fingernails were removed from his left hand. There is a dispute between Ahmed and British intelligence officers about exactly when his fingernails were removed, but an independent pathologist employed by the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that it happened during the period when he was in Pakistani custody.”
- After about 13 days, he was visited by an officer from MI5 and another from MI6. Ahmed claims he told them he was tortured.
- Within days of this interview, his medical records were accessed by Manchester Police.
- He was in Pakistani dentention for 13 months before being deported to the UK in September 2007.
- He was tried and convicted of terrorist offences in late 2008 – according to the prosecution, entirely on the basis of evidence obtained while he was under surveillance in the UK and Dubai in 2005-06
- During 2008, Mr Ahmed claims he was visited by two men, one who identified himself as being from MI5 and the other from the GMP, and was told: ‘If you withdraw what you are saying about torture [MI5's collusion], we can make a deal with you to reduce your sentence, or if you want to take money we can give you money.’
David Davis points out that Mr Ahmed is a deeply unpleasant person. He states:
I should say that the individual whose case I am going to describe is not someone for whom I have any natural sympathy. He is a convicted – indeed, self-confessed – terrorist. So what I am talking about today is just as much about defending our own civilised standards as it is about deploring what was done to this man in the name of defending our country.
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