Guantanamo Britons to be free in weeks

FOUR British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay by United States authorities will be freed within weeks, ending their three years of incarceration without trial.

Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, told MPs the men’s freedom had been secured after months of intense negotiations between himself, the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, and Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State.

The plight of the suspects had also been discussed by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the US president, George Bush, while Mr Straw pointed out the British government had rejected US plans for the men to be tried before military tribunals.

Nine Britons in total had been held under legally dubious circumstances at the notorious prison camp in Cuba. Five of them were released last year.

However, the final four still have one hurdle to clear before they are given their liberty; they will be interviewed by police on arrival in Britain under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act.

Mr Straw said: "Any subsequent action will be a matter for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service."

It emerged last night that the Pentagon secured assurances from the British government that Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, Feroz Abassi, from Croydon, Martin Mubanga, and Richard Belmar, both from London, would not become involved in terrorism.

Mr Blair’s official spokesman confirmed: "There are general security concerns which we have striven to meet."

Michael Ancram, the shadow foreign secretary, said that despite their release, there were still reservations about such a close ally’s use of the controversial camp.

"The first duty of government is to defend its people, but was not the late US president Eisenhower right to say, ‘We must not destroy what we are attempting to defend?’"

The issue was branded a "damaging episode which should never again be repeated" by Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesman.

"The truth is that the detention of these men violated all legal principles, that their civil rights were systematically and deliberately abused, and that they were denied due process, a cornerstone of American legal jurisprudence."

News of the release was welcomed by Azmat Begg, the father of Moazzam, who said the saga was not yet over.

"My son should be medically, physically examined and he should be mentally examined and if there is a proper case he should be tried and, if he has done something wrong, he should be punished," he said.

"But, at the same time, people who have broken the law of humanity by keeping people for that long in solitary confinement and torturing [them], they should also be held to account."

The men are expected to seek compensation for their ordeal, which will reignite diplomatic tensions between the US and UK over Guantanamo Bay.

Four of the five already released have filed claims for $10 million (5 million) each and fresh suits are expected following Mr Begg’s allegations of torture and reports that Mr Mubanga was also mistreated.

Louise Christian, a lawyer for two of the men, said they had suffered torture.

She said: "The UK authorities should give serious consideration as to whether it is a dis- proportionate response to arrest them after they have spent three years being locked up in cages."

Mr Straw said all representations regarding compensation would be considered, but he rejected calls from Alex Salmond, the Scottish National Party leader, for the UK to examine its own controversial detention of suspects in Belmarsh prison without trial.