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Feroz Abbasi
Feroz Abbasi (born 1979) is one of nine British men who were held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba. He was released from detention and repatriated in 2005 and released by the British government the next day.
Abbasi was born in 1979 in Entebbe, Uganda to a Pakistani father and a Nubian mother (her Grandfather was from South Sudan) later immigrated to the United Kingdom. The U.S. government alleged that Abbasi attended four separate al-Qaeda training courses at the Al Farouq training camp, near Kandahar, and also at the nearby camp, Ubaida. He was taught urban warfare, assassination techniques, intelligence collection and surveillance. They allege that he volunteered to participate in suicide operations and met Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, three times. However, this theory was later dismissed as Abbasi would have been too young and there was no evidence to back this. He was alleged to have fought with al-Qaeda and the Taliban against American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. When he was captured by the Afghan Northern Alliance, they claim he had hand grenades strapped to his legs and was carrying a military radio. He was handed over to U.S. forces. They referred to him as "the SAS guy" to his extensive training, and shipped him to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
His mother and his lawyers argued that Abbasi was one of a small group of idealistic young Muslim men who found themselves caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She said she was worried for his mental welfare as he was barely 18.
The British Court of Appeal said it found his detention at Guantanamo "legally objectionable", but stopped short of forcing the government to intervene on his behalf. The U.S. government announced that Abbasi would be one of the prisoners facing charges before a military tribunal, although it was announced that he would not face the death penalty if convicted as he was a first time offender and the case was not strong enough to pursue this type of punishment. This case was also dismissed on the grounds of lack of evidence and no hard evidence from the U.S. government to back the allegations that were made. Subsequently, Abbasi proceeded to sue the U.S. government, stating in an interview that "they had made his life hell" and left him with everlasting mental issues. Abbasi won the tribunal against the U.S. government and was compensated £3.5 million as a result of this.
After Abbasi's release, American authorities released to the BBC further details of their allegations, as well as a statement allegedly written by Abbasi which, they claimed, was a handwritten autobiography written whilst in detention. The document allegedly describes his anguish and low self-esteem before he left England and outlines how a jihad group works and describes his training and use of weapons. But, Abbasi's lawyer confirmed Abbasi's claims to have been tortured, and as a result, the statement was legally worthless as evidence.
His mother, his Member of Parliament (MP) Geraint Davies, and human rights lawyers and organisations worked against the US internment and military tribunal process. They also called on the British government to put greater pressure on their US counterparts to improve the tribunal process, detention conditions, and access for the family and lawyers. The British government pressured the US to release its citizens, reportedly leading to a rift between the two countries.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced that the remaining Britons in Guantanamo Bay who were originally with Feroz Abbasi, would be returned to Britain "within weeks" after "intensive and complex discussions" with the US government. Although they were still regarded as "enemy combatants" by the US government, no charges have ever been brought against any of them.
On 25 January 2005, the remaining Britons were flown back to the United Kingdom by an RAF aircraft. On arrival they were arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police and taken to Paddington Green Police Station for questioning under the Terrorism Act 2000. By 9pm the next day, 26 January, all four had been released without charge.
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Feroz Abbasi
Feroz Abbasi (born 1979) is one of nine British men who were held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba. He was released from detention and repatriated in 2005 and released by the British government the next day.
Abbasi was born in 1979 in Entebbe, Uganda to a Pakistani father and a Nubian mother (her Grandfather was from South Sudan) later immigrated to the United Kingdom. The U.S. government alleged that Abbasi attended four separate al-Qaeda training courses at the Al Farouq training camp, near Kandahar, and also at the nearby camp, Ubaida. He was taught urban warfare, assassination techniques, intelligence collection and surveillance. They allege that he volunteered to participate in suicide operations and met Osama bin Laden, the founder and leader of al-Qaeda, three times. However, this theory was later dismissed as Abbasi would have been too young and there was no evidence to back this. He was alleged to have fought with al-Qaeda and the Taliban against American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. When he was captured by the Afghan Northern Alliance, they claim he had hand grenades strapped to his legs and was carrying a military radio. He was handed over to U.S. forces. They referred to him as "the SAS guy" to his extensive training, and shipped him to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.
His mother and his lawyers argued that Abbasi was one of a small group of idealistic young Muslim men who found themselves caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She said she was worried for his mental welfare as he was barely 18.
The British Court of Appeal said it found his detention at Guantanamo "legally objectionable", but stopped short of forcing the government to intervene on his behalf. The U.S. government announced that Abbasi would be one of the prisoners facing charges before a military tribunal, although it was announced that he would not face the death penalty if convicted as he was a first time offender and the case was not strong enough to pursue this type of punishment. This case was also dismissed on the grounds of lack of evidence and no hard evidence from the U.S. government to back the allegations that were made. Subsequently, Abbasi proceeded to sue the U.S. government, stating in an interview that "they had made his life hell" and left him with everlasting mental issues. Abbasi won the tribunal against the U.S. government and was compensated £3.5 million as a result of this.
After Abbasi's release, American authorities released to the BBC further details of their allegations, as well as a statement allegedly written by Abbasi which, they claimed, was a handwritten autobiography written whilst in detention. The document allegedly describes his anguish and low self-esteem before he left England and outlines how a jihad group works and describes his training and use of weapons. But, Abbasi's lawyer confirmed Abbasi's claims to have been tortured, and as a result, the statement was legally worthless as evidence.
His mother, his Member of Parliament (MP) Geraint Davies, and human rights lawyers and organisations worked against the US internment and military tribunal process. They also called on the British government to put greater pressure on their US counterparts to improve the tribunal process, detention conditions, and access for the family and lawyers. The British government pressured the US to release its citizens, reportedly leading to a rift between the two countries.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced that the remaining Britons in Guantanamo Bay who were originally with Feroz Abbasi, would be returned to Britain "within weeks" after "intensive and complex discussions" with the US government. Although they were still regarded as "enemy combatants" by the US government, no charges have ever been brought against any of them.
On 25 January 2005, the remaining Britons were flown back to the United Kingdom by an RAF aircraft. On arrival they were arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police and taken to Paddington Green Police Station for questioning under the Terrorism Act 2000. By 9pm the next day, 26 January, all four had been released without charge.