Jack Straw, MI6 and the UK government will be forced to respond to allegations that they were involved in the kidnapping and torture of a Libyan Adbel Hakim Belhaj in 2004, the supreme Court has ruled. The claims state that the rendition of Adbel Hakim Belhaj breached century old rights that stretched back to the Magna Carta.
Unlawful actions by the UK government
Belhaj, after the decision was made, stated: "I pleaded with the UK government to apologise for their unlawful actions. I always reiterated that I was prepared to forgive and forget their brutality.
Now, I hope that justice will be served not just for me, but in the name of all the people incorrectly kidnapped in the war on terror".
Referencing the Magna Carta, the historical document that British justice is founded upon, Lord Mance, stated that: "No man shall be take or imprisoned excepting by the legal judgement of his peers of by the laws of the land". Mance continued, stating that serious misconduct and unlawfulness has occurred in the highest level of government. "The use of torture has long been abolished from English law," Mance said, "clearly the torture of Adbel Hakim Belhaj is a case of abusing one's power".
Belhaj was kidnapped in 2004 in Bangkok and flown immediately to torture cells in the capital city of Libya, Tripoli.
A mere fortnight later, then prime minster Tony Blair visited Libya for the first time, sharing a hug with Colonel Gaddafi before declaring that Libya and the UK recognised the dangers of extremist groups.
Straw's rebuttal
Jack Straw, commenting on the case, stated: "This decision is in regard to some important points of law pertaining to the extent it is possible to bring actions that occurred abroad to a UK court.
In December 2013, I said in front of the Commons that I had always acted professionally and with regards to both national and international law. I was never involved in any unlawful decisions".
A spokesperson for the charity Reprieve demanded that prime minster Theresa May shows honour by apologising to Adbel Hakim Belhaj. The spokesperson continued, pleading that Britain must make a strong "anti-torture stance in the era of Trump".
