Halt Extraditions to the US demo, 23 June

by Aisha Maniar

Several hundred people joined a demonstration outside Downing Street on Saturday afternoon calling for an end to the extradition of British citizens to the United States under the one-sided Extradition Act 2003.

Bruce Kent, Pax Christi

Sheikh Suleiman Gani

Keith Sonnet, UNISON

John McDonnell MP

Louise Christian

Massoud Shadjareh, Islamic Human Rights Commission

Murad Qureshi, London Assembly Member

Farooq Murad, Muslim Council of Britain

Dr Daud Abdullah, British Muslim Initiative

Lindsey German, Stop The War Coalition

Father Joe Ryan, Westminster Justice and Peace Commission

Fr Joe Ryan with Victoria Brittain

Jeremy Corbyn MP

Several hundred people joined a demonstration outside Downing Street on the afternoon of Saturday 23 June calling for an end to the extradition of British citizens to the United States under the one-sided Extradition Act 2003. Supporters of Babar Ahmad, Richard O’Dwyer, Talha Ahsan, Gary McKinnon and their families came together to stop these extraditions to the US, where prisoner conditions are not compatible with human rights standards on this side of the Atlantic, and in many cases are tantamount to torture (extended solitary confinement, supermax prisons, etc.) and for the men to be tried in the UK if there is sufficient valid evidence for prosecutions to be brought against them.

Several of the men involved have been fighting extradition for many years now and in the case of Babar Ahmad, Talha Ahsan and others, are being held in prison without charge pending the outcome of their appeals. Speakers included Brent Kent, MPs John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, solicitor Louise Christian, David Bermingham of the Natwest 3 who was extradited under this same law, Daud Abdullah from the British Muslim Initiative and family members. A message of support from Caroline Lucas MP was read out. Speakers called for the Extradition Act2003 to be scrapped and for allegations against British citizens to be tried in Britain. Many criticised the severity of both the American “justice” and prison systems. Particular criticism was made of some members of the current government, including Prime Minister David Cameron, who had spoken out strongly against the Act when they were in opposition but are now the architects of any extraditions of these men and other British citizens.

A letter was handed in by family members and a delegation following the demonstration. A parliamentary meeting on this issue was held on Wednesday 20 June.

Just yesterday, Wikileaks founder Jimmy Wales started a petition in support of Richard O’Dwyer, which you can sign here: http://www.change.org/petitions/ukhomeoffice-stop-the-extradition-of-richard-o-dwyer-to-the-usa-saverichard

And Jimmy Wale’s reasons for it:http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/24/richard-o-dwyer-my-petition

A film tour on the extradition of Babar Ahmad and Talha Ahsan kicked off on Friday 22 and is currently travelling around the country in June and July:https://www.facebook.com/ExtraditionFilm During the film tour, the organisers are asking people to send the letter attachments below to Keir Starmer, Theresa May and Dominic Grieve concerning the extradition of Talha Ahsan.

Find out more about their cases:

www.wearebabarahmad.org

www.freetalhaahsan.org

http://www.friends-extradited.org/citizens/richard_odwyer

http://www.friends-extradited.org/citizens/gary_mckinnon

http://onesmallwindow.wordpress.com/