25/02/14

We, the undersigned, show our support and solidarity for the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Moazzam Begg, who has been arrested over allegations of terrorism. Until the allegations are tested and challenged in a court of law we reiterate the fundamental right of all to presumption of innocence.

Our experience with Moazzam Begg has been in his role as one of the foremost advocates against the abuses taking place in Guantanamo Bay, and as part of the wider programme of unlawful detentions and complicity in torture.

Moazzam has worked tirelessly with CAGE and other human rights organisations in order to work for the settlement of Guantanamo Bay detainees to third party countries.

For now we call upon the police to be vigilant in how Moazzam is treated in detention given the trauma he was subjected to while detained at Guantanamo Bay.

We extend our support to his family as well as his colleagues at CAGE.

Signatures

Muhammad Rabbani  Managing Director, CAGE

Asim Qureshi   Director, Catalyst Worldwide Consulting

Sir Geoffrey Bindman  Human Rights lawyer and Founder of Bindmans LLP

Clive Stafford-Smith  Director, Reprieve

Clare Algar   Executive Director, Reprieve

Cori Cryder   Strategic Director of Abuses in Counter Terrorism, Reprieve

Polly Rossdale    Deputy Director of Abuses in Counter Terrorism, Reprieve

Sami El-Haj Manager of Public Liberties and Human Rights, Al Jazeera and Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Qatar

Phil Shiner    Principal, Public Interest Lawyers

Mourad Dhina   Executive Director, Al Karama

Frances Webber   Vice-chair, Institute of Race Relations

Prof Bill Bowering   Barrister and Lecturer,  Birkbeck University of London, UK

Prof Laleh Khalili  Professor,  School of Oriental and African Studies, UK

Prof David Miller  Professor, University of Bath, UK

Rizwan Sabir   University of Bath, UK

Saghir Hussain   Solicitor, HMA Solicitors

Eeva Heikkila   Barrister, 9 Bedford Row

Toby Cadman   Barrister, 9 Bedford Row

Christopher Stanley  Legal Officer, Rights Watch UK

Daniel Carey   Solicitor, Deighton Peirce Glynn

Dr Ruth Blakely   Co-Director, The Rendition Project and University of Kent

Dr Sam Raphael  Co-Director, The Rendition Project and Kingston University

Carla Ferstman   Director, Redress

Dr Nisha Kapoor  Lecturer, University of York

Dr Anas al Tikriti  CEO, The Cordoba Foundation

Dilower Khan   President, Islamic Forum of Europe

Russell Fraser    Solicitor, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers

Malachy Killbride   Witness Against Torture

Wendy Pettifer   Solicitor, Hackney Law Centre

Paul Heron    Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers

Cianan Good   Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers

Adriana Edmeades  Paralegal, Public Interest Lawyers

Beth Shiner   Trainee solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers

Emily McFadden   Trainee solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers

Leisha Shiner   Paralegal, Public Interest Lawyers

Paul McNab   Practice Manager, Public Interest Lawyers

Estella Schmid   Campaign Against Criminalising Communties (CAMPACC)

Les Levidow   Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC)

Anne Gray   Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC)

Patrick Carty   Justice Watch, Ireland

Coleen Rowley   Tackling Torture at the Top

Sonja Johnson   Tackling Torture at the Top

Gary King   Tackling Torture at the Top

Thomas Dickinson  Tackling Torture at the Top

Mike Madden   Tackling Torture at the Top

Lindsey German   Stop the War Coalition

Abdullah Hasan   UKIM Masjid Khadija IADA

Azad Ali   Muslim Safety Forum

Dr Omer El-Hamdoon   Muslim Association of Britain

Sharhabeel Lone   Kentish Town Community Organisation

Mohammad Sawalha   President, British Muslim Initiative, UK

Mohammed Kozbar   Islam Expo

Saleem Kidwai, OBE   Muslim Council of Wales

Mrs Firdous Arif   Muslim Women’s Association UK

Dr Sheikh Hojjat Ramzy   Oxford Islamic Information Centre

Muhammad Jinani   Young Muslim Organisation UK

Sister Helen Prejean   Author of ‘Dead Man Walking’ and internationally known Social Activist

John McLoughlin   UNISON

Bob Pitt   Editor, Islamophobia Watch

Abdullah Faliq   Chair, Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia

Professor Richard Jackson   The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, NZ

Imam Shakeel Begg   Imam, Lewisham Islamic Centre, UK

Abdur Raheem Green   Co-Founder, Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK

Yusuf Chambers   Co-Founder, Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK

Saqib Sattar   Vice-Chairman,Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK

Saleem Chagtai   Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK

Hamza Andreas Tzortzis   Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK

Abdullah al-Andalusi   Spokesman, Muslim Debate Initiative, UK

Shaykh Shams Muhammad   Islamic Scholar, Khalifa Foundation, UK

Zahed Ahmed   Khalil Foundation, UK

Imam Wasim Kempson   Imam, Al-Muntada al-Islami, UK

Omar Ali   President, FOSIS, UK

Ibrahim Ali   Vice-President of Student Affairs, FOSIS, UK

Mohammed Kozbar   Director, Finsbury Park Mosque, UK

Tafazal Mohammad   Managing Director, Muslim Youth Skills, UK

Arzu Merali   Islamic Human Rights Commission

Baher Azmy   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA

Wells Dixon   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA

Omar Farah   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA

Shane Kadidal   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA

Pardiss Kebriaei   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA

Ben Hayes   Statewatch

Joy Hurcombe   Chair, Save Shaker Aamer Campaign

Farooq Murad   Muslim Council of Britain

AbdelRahman Mussa   CEO, MAB Youth

Ismail Patel   Friends of Al-Aqsa

Shaykh Zahir Mahmood   As-Suffa Institute

Imam Shaqur Rehman   Redbridge Islamic Centre

Alomgir Ali   MRDF

Abdul Khaliq Ebrahim Allie   Muslim Judicial Council

Kamran Khan   Chair, Bolton Council of Mosques

Individual Supporters

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari  Author, Activist and Parenting Consultant

Mark Steel Comedian

John Pilger Investigative Journalist

Shaykh Sulaiman Ghani Islamic Scholar

Shaykh Shafiur Rahman Islamic Scholar

Shaykh Abu Abdissalaam Islamic Scholar

Fareena Alam Social Activist

Dr Scharlette Holdman Mitigation Specialist

Terry Holdbrooks Former guard at Guantanamo Bay

Dr Uthman Lateef Khateeb and Researcher

Bisher al-Rawi Former Guantanamo Bay detainee

Omar Deghayes Former Guantanamo Bay detainee

Tarek Dergoul Former Guantanamo Bay detainee

Jarallah al-Marri Former Guantanamo Bay detainee

Jim Harrington Attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainee

Major Todd Peirce Former US Military attorney

LT CMD Kevin Bogucki US Military attorney

Captain Michael Schwartz US Military attorney

Cheryl Bormann Attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainee

Victoria Brittain Journalist and author

Arun Kundnani Author

Dr Reza Pankhurst Academic and author

Hodan Yusuf Journalist and mediator

Imran Awan Author

Aamer Anwar Human Rights lawyer

Dr David Nicholl Consultant Neurologist

Noam Chomsky Philosopher, Cognitive, Scientist, Logician, Political Commentator and Activist

Dr Norman Finkelstein Political, Scientist, Activist, Professor and Author

Luke Daniels President of Caribbean Labour Solidarity

Frankie Boyle Comedian

Aamer Rahman Comedian

Supporters from South Africa 

Feroze Ahmed Boda Advocate

Yusuf Dockrat Advocate

Shabnem Mayet Advocate

Yusuf Ismail Attorney

Yousha Tayob Attorney

Afzal Mosam Advocate

Zaheer Adam Attorney

Ziyad Patel Attorney

Farhana Ismail Attorney

Nasser Tayob Attorney

Nadeem Mohammed Attorney

Afzal Abba Attorney

Ridwaan Boda Attorney

Nazmeera Cassim Psychiatrist

Muhammad Kajee Advocate

Shehnaaz Rawat Advocate

Ahmed Cajee Advocate

Hassen Kajee Advocate

(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.)