MPs call for halt to extradition of ‘terrorist’ cleric Abu Hamza to US after CIA admits torture

Jason Lewis
UK Daily Mail
Friday, July 18, 2008

Britain should stop extraditing prisoners to America following the CIA’s admission that it ‘tortured’ terror suspects, an influential group of MPs has demanded.

The move by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee would prevent the extradition of hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza, who faces terror charges in the US, and Babar Ahmad, accused of fund-raising for the Taliban.

Ministers have previously been willing to take at face-value statements from President George Bush that the US does not resort to torture.

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But the committee says this should no longer be the case after CIA admitted the ‘waterboarding’ of three detainees.

The technique involving simulated drowning has already been described as torture by Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

The MPs say this has implications for extradition to the U.S. as the UK is a signatory to a United Nations convention barring the return of individuals to states where they are at risk of torture.

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