Binyam Mohamed: Decision to act on case welcomed, but inquiry still needed

Decision should be ‘just the first step’

Amnesty International today welcomed the decision of the Attorney General Baroness Scotland to refer the case of Binyam Mohamed to the Metropolitan Police.

Mr Mohamed is the UK resident who has alleged UK complicity in his torture and other human rights abuses during nearly seven years of detention, including at Guantánamo Bay.

Amnesty International UK’s head of policy and government affairs Jeremy Croft said:

“Referring Binyam Mohamed’s case to the police is the right thing to do, but it should be just the first step.

“We also need a separate independent inquiry into allegations from Binyam Mohamed and others that the UK colluded in their torture, rendition, illegal detention and other human right abuses.

“What we must not lose sight of here is that Binyam Mohamed’s is far from being the only case where there are serious allegations that the UK colluded in the mistreatment or illegal detention of people from this country and elsewhere.

“We still need an independent inquiry with the powers to unearth any wrongdoing by UK officials during the ‘war on terror’”.

Find out more about Binyam Mohamed’s case