"The Government is attempting to rewrite history"
6th Oct 2004
Greens criticize Belmarsh deportation claims
This week the Law Lords are hearing the appeal of eight men who have been detained without trial for as long as three years under anti-terror legislation. In submissions to the Law Lords this week, the Government has claimed that it is in negotiation to deport the men. Green Party home affairs spokesperson Hugo Charlton, today criticised the Government's claims;
"The government is attempting to rewrite the history of these cases to obscure its flagrant breaches of human rights. This is a cynical attempt to change the status of these prisoners from 'detained indefinitely' to 'awaiting deportation'. These men have legitimate claims to refugee status and have been convicted of no crime. They must be charged or released.
"This claim is a tacit admission by the Government that its new powers of indefinite detention (1) are a violation of Britain's international human rights obligations. The Government has failed to demonstrate that Britain faces a sufficient emergency to justify its suspension of human rights protections. Faced with the prospect that the powers it granted itself are illegal the Government is manoeuvring to be in a position where it can deny ever using them."
Charlton, who is also a human rights barrister, went on:
"The Government has claimed that it is negotiating for assurances that the prisoners will not mistreated if returned to their countries of origin.
"Even if a deal was reached, this type of agreement is not worth the paper it is written on. Human Rights Watch, an impartial and highly respected organisation, has uncovered multiple cases where refugees returned to their countries of origin under this type of agreement have been tortured and imprisoned in their home states (2). If the Government were to deport the suspects under these conditions it would be in breach of its international obligations."
Notes
(1) Provided in part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act, 2001.
(2) See Human Rights Watch Report "Empty Promises": Diplomatic Assurances No Safeguard against Torture available here.
Greens demand release of Belmarsh inmates held without charge
3rd Oct 2004
Law Lords to decide fate of "Britain's Guantanamo"
Green Party London Euro-MP Jean Lambert joined prisoners' families and human rights campaigners at a demonstration outside the prison this Sunday to show solidarity and demand the inmates' release ahead of next week's law lords' hearing.
Law Lords are to consider the fate of 14 terrorism suspects held without charge or trial at Belmarsh Prison, the London top-security jail dubbed 'Britain's Guantanamo'.
In a hearing due to start on Monday 4th October and expected to last four days, nine law lords will consider the legality of their continued incarceration without charge under the 2001 Anti-Terrorism and Security Act.
Campaigners for their release have argued the 2001 act is an unlawful breach of the European Convention on Human Rights - and the Human Rights Act which incorporates it into UK law - despite Home Secretary David Blunkett's 'derogation' - or temporary withdrawal - from the convention.
Mrs Lambert, a member of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties and Human Rights Committees, said: "It is deeply shameful that a Labour government should detain people who have never been convicted or charged with any offence - for more than two years in some cases.
Greens seek further meeting at Number Ten
20th Sep 2004
The Green Party is seeking a renewal of dialogue with 10 Downing Street over the climate crisis.
Almost exactly four years ago, leading Greens met with Tony Blair's environment advisers in an unprecedented meeting at Number Ten.
"It was a fascinating meeting, but everything we said has been ignored. We pointed out the links between roadbuilding and climate change, between airport expansions and climate change, and Tony Blair's personal adviser on transport policy told us that everything we proposed would be 'politically unacceptable'. But today the public is far more aware of the climate crisis, so the political landscape in that respect is not the same. We believe the government can implement Green policies now if it wants to."
Missing opportunities
The UK is missing all sorts of opportunities to reduce emissions, said Whitelegg, not least in the realm of transport. He commented: "We're seeing more ridiculous road schemes now than in the days of Brian Mawhinney and Nicholas Ridley - I mean, a motorway parallel to the M6 is the height of nonsense in many respects, but not least in terms of encouraging CO2 emissions.
"And tripling the size of our aviation industry is entirely incompatible with any meaningful attempt to tackle global warming.
"If Tony Blair now understands how critical the climate crisis is, and if Margaret Beckett now believes the UK might have a Siberian-type climate by 2020 (1), then there's no time to lose.
"We want to get Tony Blair and Margaret Beckett in the same room and spell out what we think they need to do to be serious about climate change."
Last week the Green Party laid down a 12-point climate change challenge to the government - against which Tony Blair's speech scored zero.
© The Green Party 2004 Code, Design and Photo Credits
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