Babar Ahamd: Physically abused at time of arrest, released, arrested and now facing extradition to the US due to Extradition Act In December 2003, Ahmad was arrested by Anti-Terrorist Police who broke into his house in a pre-dawn raid. During the raid, he was brutally assaulted in front of his wife and sustained over 50 injuries to his body, two of which were life-threatening.
Ahmad described how the officers attacked him during the raid: "Before I knew it six or seven police officers are beating the daylights out of me. I'm lying on the floor with arms restrained behind my back and four people punching me on my face, my head, my ears, my back and my legs. One lifted my leg to get a good aim at the muscle. Another put his hand to my private area and grabbed."Taken downstairs, Ahmad claimed police had smashed the room set aside by the couple for prayer."They sarcastically asked, 'Are we allowed shoes in here?', and began to laugh. They put me in a prostrate position that Muslims adopt when they pray, tugging the cuffs. They said, ‘where is your God now?' Then they laid me out on my front and stripped me naked just to humiliate me. Even in front of other men, Muslim men cover between the navel and the knees. They knew what they were doing."
Ahmad was detained in custody at Charing Cross Police Station, where he was denied proper medical treatment and police doctors failed to keep legible records. After six days of intensive investigation he was released without charge. Ahmad filed a complaint against the police officers who assaulted him.
Despite photographic evidence of his injuries, independent medical reports and eye-witness statements, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that there was "insufficient evidence" to prosecute any of the officers involved.
On 5 August 2004, Ahmad was re-arrested on an extradition warrant from the U.S., alleging that he solicited fundraising for rebels in Chechnya and Afghanistan using the Internet, from 1998 to 2003. His re-arrest came three days before a conference was due to take place criticising the authorities over their failure to take any action over his December 2003 assault by Police.
Under the provisions of the new Extradition Act 2003, Ahmad is not allowed to defend himself against any 'evidence' provided by the US despite the fact that this 'evidence' may be false and/or unreliable.
This whole ordeal has been devastating for Ahmad’s family. His elderly parents feel lost without a dear son, and the life of his wife, without her husband, has been turned upside down. As a result she has been unable to return to work as a schoolteacher, as she still suffers from the pain of the whole ordeal she has been subjected to.
Ahmad remains in custody at HM Prison Woodhill, pending the full extradition hearing following which he may be extradited to the US to face a possible 50 years to life imprisonment. He still does not face any charges under British Law and he may be extradited without ever having the chance to challenge any evidence presented by the US against him.
Source: Cageprisoners
Note: The fast track extradtion has since been approved by the UK government. For more information, please visit:
0 comments:
Post a Comment