PRESS RELEASE: CAGE welcomes Schedule 7 judicial review decision

<div class="field_article_img"> <div><b>Image:</b></div> </div> (London, UK) CAGE today welcomes news that the IPCC has been granted permission at the High Court to bring a judicial review against the Metropolitan police. The IPCC had taken the Metropolitan police to the High Court back in October after the Metropolitan police refused to hand over complaints made by CAGE about young Muslims being harassed by police at airports. Schedule 7 has long been touted as a law misused to profile Muslims when travelling through UK Ports. For a decade CAGE and other organisations have brought this whole-sale discrimination to the attention of the authorities. Statistics show that 79% of those stopped in 2012-13 were non-white and mostly from Asian-Pakistani backgrounds. Complainants have also brought to our attention that questions asked related to their faith such as why they choose to grow a beard, what their local mosque is and how many times a day they pray. Recent trends show that the misuse does not stop at Muslims, with journalists, legal personnel linked to whistle blowers and other minorities also suffering from the broad-nature of the power. Asif Bhayat, Schedule 7 co-ordinator for CAGE said, 'We welcome this small step in the right direction but maintain that Schedule 7 needs to be repealed not only because it infringes basic rights but because it is exercised in a way that discriminates against Muslims.' Mr Bhayat continued, 'CAGE urges those stopped under Schedule 7 to get in touch with us and complain through formal channels in order to challenge this abusive power.' [ENDS] NOTES: 1.  CAGE (formerly known as CagePrisoners) is an independent advocacy group that works to empower communities affected by the War on Terror and to highlight abuses of prisoners’ rights. <del>2. Please see CAGE's website www.schedule7stories.com for survivor testimonies.</del> <strong>PRESS ENQUIRIES: </strong> Contact:            Mr Amandla Thomas Johnson Phone:              +(44) 207 377 6700 Email:               press@cageuk.org Web:                cage.ngo CAGE 27 Old Gloucester Street London WC1N 3XX