Blair has work cut out over Guantanamo two
It appears the chance of a “fair trial” for the two British terror suspects who face US military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is slim indeed after repatriation was effectively ruled out by lawyers advising the Blair government.
Feroz Abbasi and Moazzam Begg, awaiting trial for their alleged connection with terror network al-Qaeda, may fail to secure trial in Britain given the legal complexity of extradition. The US has no jurisdiction on Cuban soil.
Home Secretary David Blunkett has already voiced skepticism on whether a trial could take place as the Crown Prosecution Service would have a hard time gaining evidence from abroad given the two Britons’ 18-month stay in solitary.
If found guilty, Mr Abbasi and Mr Begg could face the death penalty.
Despite political pressure form MPs, 200 of whom signed a Commons motion demanding the men stand trial in the UK, the Prime Minister is unlikely to win the argument with US President Bush whom he meets in Washington on Thursday.
However, last night, Lord Falconer of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, said the Government would continue to press US authorities to ensure the prisoners received a “fair trial.”
He said: “The Foreign Secretary made clear today that the discussions with the American Government involved, among other things, about whether they should be brought back here.
“For there to be a trial in Britain would depend on the precise detail of the evidence and it would then depend on the Crown Prosecution Service making a view about whether or not a prosecution could be properly bought.
“These questions are being asked very much without reference to the individual pieces of evidence that might be called. I think the critical thing is to constantly ask whether these people can have a fair trial by the standards that have been set.”
Reports on Sunday claimed Mr Abbasi had tried to commit suicide, using a towel to hang himself before an American security saved him.
