FREE Babar Ahmad

PRESS RELEASE: 14th February 2006

Meeting in the House of Commons calling for urgent review of the controversial UK-US Extradition Treaty 2003

Meeting Venue: Attlee Suite, House of Commons, Westminster

Date: Thursday 16th February 2006

Time: 6.45pm – 8.30pm

On Thursday 16th February 2006, an outstanding panel of MP’s and prominent British lawyers will meet at the House of Commons to demand an end to the one-sided extradition arrangements between Britain and the U.S.

Since the U.K.-U.S. Extradition Treaty of 2003 was signed, the U.S. has demanded the extradition of over 40 British Citizens without having to provide any evidence. Even if the U.S. ratifies the Treaty, Britain cannot seek the extradition of any U.S. Citizen without first proving a case in a U.S. court. Therefore, British Citizens have inferior rights in comparison to their American counterparts.

The following will join other MP's and the families and friends of Britons facing extradition to the US, in The Attlee Suite of the House of Commons:

Chair

Sadiq Khan MP (Labour MP for British citizen Babar Ahmad facing Extradition to US on terrorism allegations)

Confirmed Speakers

Boris Johnson MP (Conservative MP for "Enron Three" British bankers facing extradition to the US on fraud allegations)

Vincent Cable MP (Shadow Chancellor for the Liberal Democrats)

Sally Ireland (Senior Legal Officer for JUSTICE)

Gareth Peirce (Renowned Human Rights Lawyer who represented The Birmingham Six and The Guildford Four),

James Welch (Legal director of Liberty)

Moazzem Begg ( Ex-Guantanamo Bay detainee)

Representations on behalf of the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone

Contributions
Family of Babar Ahmad
David Bermingham, one of the three Natwest bankers facing extradition

This meeting is being held in the anticipation of the High Court decision of the Natwest bankers and Babar Ahmad's High Court Appeal against extradition on the 20th February 2006. Both rulings will have significant bearings on the course of history of the British Justice System.

Enquiries:

Email: extraditiontreaty2003@yahoo.co.uk

Telephone: 07963537779

Since seating capacity is limited, seats will be allocated on a first-come first-serve basis.

Further Information

The spotlight is on the United States in relation to Human Rights abuses by the US Government; including rendition and torture of foreign nationals

Under the new Extradition laws, the United States can demand the state-sanctioned kidnapping of British Citizens resident in the UK, to prisons in the United States or to some unnamed destination where they could be tortured.

There is nothing that the British courts can do about this, as no evidence needs to be provided for this demand.

Under the previous law, the extradition of British Citizens has been denied by British courts due to lack of evidence. Under the current law they would have had to be extradited (see link)
www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A44744-2002Apr24?language=printer

At the same time, American citizens cannot be treated in this way as they are protected under their Constitution

The British Government has sold out the rights of British Citizens in this one-sided law.

140 MP’s have already signed a Parliamentary Motion to repeal this law.
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=28440&SESSION=875

The Home Affairs Select Committee has begun to scrutinise this Law (see link for details)
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmhaff/c710-i/c71002.htm

This law has also been criticised in a briefing by JUSTICE, the all party human rights and law reform organisation.
http://www.statewatch.org/news/2003/jul/Justicebrief.pdf