Torture case ruling means government must come clean on 'Bush poodle' years (Slough Liberal Democrats)

Slough Liberal Democrats <johanney@hotmail.com>

Torture case ruling means government must come clean on 'Bush poodle' years

February 10, 2010 1:57 PM
Originally published by Sarah Ludford MEP

Commenting, in advance of a European Parliament debate on intelligence services, on today's Court of Appeal judgement ordering the British government to publish CIA-supplied information on the torture of UK resident Binyam Mohammed, Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"After years of denial and rubbishing of critics, it is now confirmed beyond any doubt that UK secret services did indeed collude with torture; this vindicates the 2007 European Parliament report. If Londoner Shaker Aamer was allowed home from Guantanamo, we may hear testimony that M15 also practised torture."

"The case for a full independent inquiry is now irresistible. And what has happened to the police investigation: has it been kicked into the long grass?"

"The government must come clean with the British public about the 'Bush poodle' years, which dragged us into the gutter on torture as well as into the illegal Iraq invasion."

Sarah Ludford MEP was the vice chair of the European Parliament's temporary committee on extraordinary rendition and is vice chair of the European Parliament's delegation to the United States.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The Court of Appeal judgement can be read here:

http://www.reprieve.org.uk/static/downloads/2010_02_10_Binyam_Mohamed_Court_of_Appeals_Judgment.pdf

2. The 'seven paragraphs' published by the Foreign and Commonwealth office can be read here:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/news/latest-news/?view=News&id=21722320