PRESS RELEASE: Ahmed Diini Extradition immoral amid British torture complicity claims

22 May 2014

(London, UK) Leading members of influential parliamentary committees have spoken out against allegations of British complicity in torture and arbitrary detention made by a man named Ahmed Diini who could be imminently extradited to the US. [1]

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, head of parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee called these allegations 'serious' and has summoned intelligence agencies' heads to provide answers, while Baroness Lister of the Joint Committee on Human Rights called them 'shocking' and called for a government investigation.

The information came to light after the Independent [2] published an eight month investigation by campaign group CAGE [3].

Asim Qureshi, Director of Research at CAGE said: 'Extraditing Ahmed Diini now that leading members of the security and human rights committees have called for an investigation would be immoral and a further stain on Britain's global image. It is essential that the British government takes these claims seriously and investigates them.

'Not adequately investigating such claims and offering redress – as was seen with the white-washed Gibson report [4] – will allow British intelligence agencies to operate in a climate of impunity, with full confidence that their actions are above the law.'

Ahmed Diini, currently incarcerated in Turkey says that British secret service agents attempted to coerce him into working for them, but that when he refused he was not allowed to return to the UK where his family resides. He further alleges that he was visited by a British agent while he was arbitrarily detained in Egypt who promised to secure his release if he gave in to their demands. Based on their knowledge of him, Mr Diini also claims that his Egyptian captors were fed intelligence by the British. 

[ENDS]

(NOTE: CAGE represents cases of individuals based on the remit of our work. Supporting a case does not mean we agree with the views or actions of the individual. Content published on CAGE may not reflect the official position of our organisation.)