Latest news with #Reprieve
Business Mayor
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
Labour must not rubber-stamp torture policy, say campaigners
Labour has been accused of rubber-stamping torture policy it criticised while in opposition for enabling UK complicity in serious human rights abuses overseas. The policies regulating British support for foreign security and intelligence services were blamed for facilitating injustices in cases such as those of Jagtar Singh Johal and Ali Kololo, and it was hoped Labour would strengthen them in government. But NGOs and senior MPs say 'light-touch' government reviews of the overseas security and justice assistance (OSJA) guidance and 'the principles' that govern intelligence sharing are likely to leave in place 'very serious flaws'. Their biggest concern is that Labour will not remove ministers' ability to approve UK cooperation in situations where there is a real risk of torture or the death penalty. Johal, a British human rights activist, was allegedly tortured in India, where he remains in jail, after a tipoff from UK intelligence services. Kololo was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death over an attack on British tourists after the Met police provided assistance to Kenyan authorities. The Conservative MP and former cabinet minister David Davis said: 'These policies are not a partisan issue; they are vital safeguards designed to prevent UK actions contributing to people being tortured or sentenced to death. 'Ministers should never be able to sign off on intelligence being shared or UK security assistance being granted where there is a risk of torture. 'That was true under the previous Conservative government and it's true now under Labour. We should never forget that it was bogus intelligence acquired under torture that led to the justification of the Iraq war. 'It would be a grave error to leave these failed policies as they are, and the government must avoid anything that looks like a Whitehall stitch-up, not least as this would have profoundly negative consequences for the UK's global reputation.' Reprieve, Amnesty International UK, Freedom from Torture, the Omega Research Foundation, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy and Unredacted UK have written a joint letter to the foreign secretary, David Lammy, expressing concern that the policy reviews 'may not sufficiently address the very serious flaws with the existing policy'. The Liberal Democrat MP and former cabinet minister Alistair Carmichael said: 'I would never have expected a Labour government to rubber-stamp Boris Johnson's torture policy while paying lip service to human rights concerns, but that appears to be what is happening here. 'There is disturbing evidence that existing policies on intelligence-sharing and overseas security assistance leave the UK at risk of being mixed up in torture in some way. These policies need a proper overhaul, with input from victims of the previous failed approach, not the consultation-in-name-only that is going on at the moment.' The government is being urged to consult Johal's family and others adversely affected by the policies as well as publish terms of reference for the reviews. Sir Andrew Mitchell, a Conservative MP and former deputy foreign secretary, said: 'Any review worth its salt should be learning the lessons of Ali Kololo, and indeed seeking Mr Kololo's input after everything he has been put through. The OSJA policy's abject failure to prevent this case and others suggests it is fundamentally broken. No responsible minister would want to go beyond the law and get mixed up in torture or the death penalty, and the policy should make clear this is never permissible.' Read More Legal bodies and media join taskforce to fight SLAPPs Reprieve's submission to the OSJA review states that under the former government the policy failed to block UK assistance to human rights abusers in Libya, Sri Lanka, Bahrain, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia. Dan Dolan, Reprieve's deputy executive director, said: 'These two core human rights policies of the British government have in the last decade left a trail of people who have suffered torture and the death penalty, with sadly the UK's assistance. 'If this government fails to follow through on its recognition in opposition that these policies are fatally flawed, then it will let down the survivors of human rights abuses where the UK has played a role.' A Foreign Office spokesperson said it was 'engaging with external stakeholders' and 'recognising the important perspectives of civil society'. They added: 'The guidance will set out how we ensure the UK's overseas security and justice assistance work will meet our human rights obligations and values.'
South Wales Guardian
13-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Briton jailed ‘over tweet' in Saudi Arabia is being failed by UK, say family
Ahmed al-Doush, 41, a banking business analyst of Sudanese heritage from Manchester, is believed to have been jailed by a Saudi judge on Monday after being held for nine months in al-Hair Prison in the capital, Riyadh. Non-governmental organisation Reprieve is supporting Mr al-Doush's worried family as they try to get more information and secure his release. His wife, Amaher Nour, was told her husband had been jailed by a lawyer who represented him in the Saudi court, but further information has been sparse. She said on Tuesday: 'To the UK Government Ahmed is just another statistic on a long list of British citizens detained abroad. To me and my kids he is everything. 'That's why the news yesterday that Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian jail is heartbreaking, even more so that we don't know why. 'And so the nightmare my family has endured for the past eight months continues into a never-ending abyss, exacerbated by the lack of clear information provided to us by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). 'Before the judgment was handed down, Ahmed was already suffering with back and thyroid issues and was becoming increasingly mentally distressed. I can only imagine what he is going through now, knowing he won't see his family again for years. 'He should be at home surrounded by his loved ones, not in an overcrowded cell surrounded by second-hand cigarette smoke. 'Yesterday it became clear how badly the UK Government has failed me and my husband. 'The judgment needs to be a wake-up call for the Foreign Secretary to act. Our children need their father. He has done nothing wrong.' Ahmed al-Doush was first detained in Saudi Arabia in August last year as he prepared to fly home to Manchester after a holiday (Reprieve/PA) Mr al-Doush was first detained in the Kingdom on August 31 last year as he prepared to fly home with his family following a holiday. His wife, pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was allowed to return to the UK but her husband was arrested. The exact reason for his detention and imprisonment remains unclear. Human rights group Amnesty International said Mr al-Doush was subjected to extensive interrogation without a lawyer present and before being informed of the charges against him. During interrogations, he was reportedly told that if not for his social media activity, he would be home with his family. Mr al-Doush has 41 followers on his X account. According to reports from his family, the 'offending' tweet, written in 2018 and since deleted, is thought to have related to the war in Sudan, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'For the past eight months, Ahmed's family have grappled not only with losing a father and husband, but with the FCDO failing to push hard enough for his release. 'Ahmed's case underscores that something is seriously wrong with the UK Government's approach to its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, and now Ahmed and his family are the latest people to suffer the consequences. 'It is staggering that the Foreign Office still doesn't know what Ahmed has been charged with, but there are indications it relates to a single tweet. 'Will the UK Government stand idly by while a British family is torn apart, apparently over a social media post?' Amnesty said that, for two-and-a-half months after his arrest, Mr al-Doush's family was denied any communication with him or given the reason for his arrest. He was also denied consular access to UK Government representatives, the charity said. In November last year, he was allowed a call to his wife and then permitted weekly phone calls with his family. But in January this year, the calls were interrupted and have now become sporadic. The PA news agency has contacted the UK Embassy of Saudi Arabia for comment. The case has been raised multiple times with the Saudi authorities by Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East and North Africa, according to the FCDO. A spokeswoman for the department said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia (sic) Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
Powys County Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Briton jailed ‘over tweet' in Saudi Arabia is being failed by UK, say family
A British man jailed for 10 years in Saudi Arabia, reportedly over a tweet he wrote seven years ago, has done nothing wrong and is being failed by the UK, his family have said. Ahmed al-Doush, 41, a banking business analyst of Sudanese heritage from Manchester, is believed to have been jailed by a Saudi judge on Monday after being held for nine months in al-Hair Prison in the capital, Riyadh. Non-governmental organisation Reprieve is supporting Mr al-Doush's worried family as they try to get more information and secure his release. His wife, Amaher Nour, was told her husband had been jailed by a lawyer who represented him in the Saudi court, but further information has been sparse. She said on Tuesday: 'To the UK Government Ahmed is just another statistic on a long list of British citizens detained abroad. To me and my kids he is everything. 'That's why the news yesterday that Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian jail is heartbreaking, even more so that we don't know why. 'And so the nightmare my family has endured for the past eight months continues into a never-ending abyss, exacerbated by the lack of clear information provided to us by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). 'Before the judgment was handed down, Ahmed was already suffering with back and thyroid issues and was becoming increasingly mentally distressed. I can only imagine what he is going through now, knowing he won't see his family again for years. 'He should be at home surrounded by his loved ones, not in an overcrowded cell surrounded by second-hand cigarette smoke. 'Yesterday it became clear how badly the UK Government has failed me and my husband. 'The judgment needs to be a wake-up call for the Foreign Secretary to act. Our children need their father. He has done nothing wrong.' Mr al-Doush was first detained in the Kingdom on August 31 last year as he prepared to fly home with his family following a holiday. His wife, pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was allowed to return to the UK but her husband was arrested. The exact reason for his detention and imprisonment remains unclear. Human rights group Amnesty International said Mr al-Doush was subjected to extensive interrogation without a lawyer present and before being informed of the charges against him. During interrogations, he was reportedly told that if not for his social media activity, he would be home with his family. Mr al-Doush has 41 followers on his X account. According to reports from his family, the 'offending' tweet, written in 2018 and since deleted, is thought to have related to the war in Sudan, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'For the past eight months, Ahmed's family have grappled not only with losing a father and husband, but with the FCDO failing to push hard enough for his release. 'Ahmed's case underscores that something is seriously wrong with the UK Government's approach to its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, and now Ahmed and his family are the latest people to suffer the consequences. 'It is staggering that the Foreign Office still doesn't know what Ahmed has been charged with, but there are indications it relates to a single tweet. 'Will the UK Government stand idly by while a British family is torn apart, apparently over a social media post?' Amnesty said that, for two-and-a-half months after his arrest, Mr al-Doush's family was denied any communication with him or given the reason for his arrest. He was also denied consular access to UK Government representatives, the charity said. In November last year, he was allowed a call to his wife and then permitted weekly phone calls with his family. But in January this year, the calls were interrupted and have now become sporadic. The PA news agency has contacted the UK Embassy of Saudi Arabia for comment. The case has been raised multiple times with the Saudi authorities by Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East and North Africa, according to the FCDO. A spokeswoman for the department said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia (sic) Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
Rhyl Journal
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Briton jailed ‘over tweet' in Saudi Arabia is being failed by UK, say family
Ahmed al-Doush, 41, a banking business analyst of Sudanese heritage from Manchester, is believed to have been jailed by a Saudi judge on Monday after being held for nine months in al-Hair Prison in the capital, Riyadh. Non-governmental organisation Reprieve is supporting Mr al-Doush's worried family as they try to get more information and secure his release. His wife, Amaher Nour, was told her husband had been jailed by a lawyer who represented him in the Saudi court, but further information has been sparse. She said on Tuesday: 'To the UK Government Ahmed is just another statistic on a long list of British citizens detained abroad. To me and my kids he is everything. 'That's why the news yesterday that Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian jail is heartbreaking, even more so that we don't know why. 'And so the nightmare my family has endured for the past eight months continues into a never-ending abyss, exacerbated by the lack of clear information provided to us by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). 'Before the judgment was handed down, Ahmed was already suffering with back and thyroid issues and was becoming increasingly mentally distressed. I can only imagine what he is going through now, knowing he won't see his family again for years. 'He should be at home surrounded by his loved ones, not in an overcrowded cell surrounded by second-hand cigarette smoke. 'Yesterday it became clear how badly the UK Government has failed me and my husband. 'The judgment needs to be a wake-up call for the Foreign Secretary to act. Our children need their father. He has done nothing wrong.' Mr al-Doush was first detained in the Kingdom on August 31 last year as he prepared to fly home with his family following a holiday. His wife, pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was allowed to return to the UK but her husband was arrested. The exact reason for his detention and imprisonment remains unclear. Human rights group Amnesty International said Mr al-Doush was subjected to extensive interrogation without a lawyer present and before being informed of the charges against him. During interrogations, he was reportedly told that if not for his social media activity, he would be home with his family. Mr al-Doush has 41 followers on his X account. According to reports from his family, the 'offending' tweet, written in 2018 and since deleted, is thought to have related to the war in Sudan, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'For the past eight months, Ahmed's family have grappled not only with losing a father and husband, but with the FCDO failing to push hard enough for his release. 'Ahmed's case underscores that something is seriously wrong with the UK Government's approach to its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, and now Ahmed and his family are the latest people to suffer the consequences. 'It is staggering that the Foreign Office still doesn't know what Ahmed has been charged with, but there are indications it relates to a single tweet. 'Will the UK Government stand idly by while a British family is torn apart, apparently over a social media post?' Amnesty said that, for two-and-a-half months after his arrest, Mr al-Doush's family was denied any communication with him or given the reason for his arrest. He was also denied consular access to UK Government representatives, the charity said. In November last year, he was allowed a call to his wife and then permitted weekly phone calls with his family. But in January this year, the calls were interrupted and have now become sporadic. The PA news agency has contacted the UK Embassy of Saudi Arabia for comment. The case has been raised multiple times with the Saudi authorities by Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East and North Africa, according to the FCDO. A spokeswoman for the department said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia (sic) Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
Western Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Briton jailed ‘over tweet' in Saudi Arabia is being failed by UK, say family
Ahmed al-Doush, 41, a banking business analyst of Sudanese heritage from Manchester, is believed to have been jailed by a Saudi judge on Monday after being held for nine months in al-Hair Prison in the capital, Riyadh. Non-governmental organisation Reprieve is supporting Mr al-Doush's worried family as they try to get more information and secure his release. His wife, Amaher Nour, was told her husband had been jailed by a lawyer who represented him in the Saudi court, but further information has been sparse. She said on Tuesday: 'To the UK Government Ahmed is just another statistic on a long list of British citizens detained abroad. To me and my kids he is everything. 'That's why the news yesterday that Ahmed was sentenced to 10 years in a Saudi Arabian jail is heartbreaking, even more so that we don't know why. 'And so the nightmare my family has endured for the past eight months continues into a never-ending abyss, exacerbated by the lack of clear information provided to us by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office). 'Before the judgment was handed down, Ahmed was already suffering with back and thyroid issues and was becoming increasingly mentally distressed. I can only imagine what he is going through now, knowing he won't see his family again for years. 'He should be at home surrounded by his loved ones, not in an overcrowded cell surrounded by second-hand cigarette smoke. 'Yesterday it became clear how badly the UK Government has failed me and my husband. 'The judgment needs to be a wake-up call for the Foreign Secretary to act. Our children need their father. He has done nothing wrong.' Ahmed al-Doush was first detained in Saudi Arabia in August last year as he prepared to fly home to Manchester after a holiday (Reprieve/PA) Mr al-Doush was first detained in the Kingdom on August 31 last year as he prepared to fly home with his family following a holiday. His wife, pregnant with their fourth child at the time, was allowed to return to the UK but her husband was arrested. The exact reason for his detention and imprisonment remains unclear. Human rights group Amnesty International said Mr al-Doush was subjected to extensive interrogation without a lawyer present and before being informed of the charges against him. During interrogations, he was reportedly told that if not for his social media activity, he would be home with his family. Mr al-Doush has 41 followers on his X account. According to reports from his family, the 'offending' tweet, written in 2018 and since deleted, is thought to have related to the war in Sudan, which provided military support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Jeed Basyouni, Reprieve's head of death penalty for the Middle East and North Africa, said: 'For the past eight months, Ahmed's family have grappled not only with losing a father and husband, but with the FCDO failing to push hard enough for his release. 'Ahmed's case underscores that something is seriously wrong with the UK Government's approach to its citizens arbitrarily detained abroad, and now Ahmed and his family are the latest people to suffer the consequences. 'It is staggering that the Foreign Office still doesn't know what Ahmed has been charged with, but there are indications it relates to a single tweet. 'Will the UK Government stand idly by while a British family is torn apart, apparently over a social media post?' Amnesty said that, for two-and-a-half months after his arrest, Mr al-Doush's family was denied any communication with him or given the reason for his arrest. He was also denied consular access to UK Government representatives, the charity said. In November last year, he was allowed a call to his wife and then permitted weekly phone calls with his family. But in January this year, the calls were interrupted and have now become sporadic. The PA news agency has contacted the UK Embassy of Saudi Arabia for comment. The case has been raised multiple times with the Saudi authorities by Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East and North Africa, according to the FCDO. A spokeswoman for the department said: 'We are supporting a British man who is detained in Saudia (sic) Arabia and are in contact with his family and the local authorities.'
