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Britain Set to Condemn Indefinite Detention of Terror Suspects

The last four of the British detainees held at Guantanamo arrived back in Britain today. The British Government will decide what happens to them next. But, this is significant--Britain is about to reject such treatment for its own terror detainees:

The home secretary, Charles Clarke, is expected to announce today that he will accept the law lords' ruling that the indefinite detention without trial of 12 terror suspects in Britain breaches human rights laws.

Meanwhile, the four released detainees are complaining of gross acts of mistreatment:

One of the four men who returned to Britain yesterday after three years in Guantánamo Bay allegedly suffered a series of mental breakdowns and was repeatedly injected with an unknown substance by his US captors.

A lawyer for Feroz Abbasi made the allegations as he and three other Muslim men arrived in Britain aboard an RAF plane, only to be arrested by anti-terrorism officers who took them to a top security police station for questioning. Mr Abbasi is alleged to have been kept in isolation for 18 months and was left so traumatised that he suffered hallucinations and panic attacks.

And, get this: These are only the allegations the U.S. military is allowing the man's lawyer to air:

Ms Gutierrez, whose comments are subject to US military censorship, told the Guardian her client was showing clear signs of the debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder and suffering from panic attacks. She said: "The time in isolation led to mental breakdowns, he was talking to himself, hallucinating, sitting in the corner.

The Guardian also has a very interesting question and answer article about treatment of the British detainee.,

< More Incidents of Torture, No Accountability | Kenneth Richey's Death Sentence Overturned >
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    God.

    Thank God for the Brits. They may be coming to their senses.

    Re: Britain Set to Condemn Indefinite Detention of (none / 0) (#3)
    by Che's Lounge on Tue Jan 25, 2005 at 08:09:55 PM EST
    "You better talk to the LAWYER Professional lawyer man..." David Lyndley

    Re: Britain Set to Condemn Indefinite Detention of (none / 0) (#4)
    by yank in london on Wed Jan 26, 2005 at 06:15:47 AM EST
    Clarke announced in Parliment this morning that indefinite detention will be replaced with a kind of house arrest and no details on oversight or government accountability. Two steps forward and one back I reckon.

    Perhaps there punishment will be to attend costume parties with the royals...they could really add dimension and perspective to British Imperial Uniforms.