UK government backs Saudi regime over torture claims

Published on Thursday 15 June 2006 00:13

A SCOTTISH engineer and his colleagues last night vowed to ask the European Court of Justice to restore their right to sue the Saudi Arabian government over torture they say they suffered in the Gulf kingdom.

Following an intervention by the British government in support of the Saudi regime, the Law Lords yesterday ruled that Sandy Mitchell, Les Walker, Bill Sampson and Ron Jones should not be able to seek damages from Saudi government officials.

Mr Mitchell, from Glasgow, Mr Walker and Mr Sampson were working in Saudi Arabia in 2000 when they were arrested and accused of involvement in a string of bomb explosions in the kingdom. Mr Jones was detained after being injured in one of the blasts.

The four later confessed to involvement, but claim they only did so after torture including beatings, sleep deprivation and being forced to take hallucinogenic drugs.

In 2004, the Court of Appeal in London gave the men leave to pursue the Saudi regime for damages over their treatment.

But, supported by the British government, the Saudis argued that international laws ensuring the immunity of sovereign states should prevent the action by the four men.

Yesterday, the Law Lords accepted the Saudi argument, prompting condemnation from human rights groups.

Tamsin Allen, Mr Mitchell's lawyer, last night said the men will now seek to overturn the Law Lords' decision.

"They intend to take the UK to the European Court of Human Rights in the hope and expectation that they will find support there," she said.

She attacked British ministers for supporting the Saudi regime. "They are gravely disappointed by the UK government's disgraceful decision to intervene in support of arguments put forward by the Saudi government in the House of Lords," she said.

Amnesty International last night issued a scathing statement condemning British ministers over the case.

"Instead of backing British victims and seeking reparations from the Saudi government for the victims as they are entitled to do, they stood alongside the Saudi government to argue that states which torture, as well as their officials, should be immune from any accountability," Amnesty said.

Tony Blair was challenged about the government's position during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday. John Pugh, a Liberal Democrat MP suggested the Law Lords' ruling means British citizens now lack any meaningful redress from mistreatment by foreign states.

"We intervened in this particular case in order to ensure that the rules of international law and state immunity are fully and accurately presented and upheld," Mr Blair said.

"That is something that is obviously important for us as a country as with others." He added: "Our strong position against torture remains unchanged. We utterly condemn it in every set of circumstances."

But Mr Walker dismissed the Prime Minister's assurances, saying the UK government had supported the Saudis in order to protect lucrative trading relationships.

"It's all down to money and oil and planes. Don't upset the Saudis, that's the British government's view," he said.