Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
|Home
Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
This website has been partly paid for from the funds made available to every MP to assist them in communicating with and representing their constituents.
Printed and hosted by Pipex Communications UK Ltd, Humber Buildings, Humber Rd, Beeston, Notts, NG9 2ET. Published and promoted by Norman Baker MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 1AA. The views expressed are those of Norman Baker, not of the service provider.
Local MP Challenges Government To Act Over Abuse Allegations From Guantanamo Prisoners
Lewes MP Norman Baker has called on the Government to take more action to help the four British citizens being held at the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
Speaking on the floor of the House of Commons, Norman asked Home Secretary:
"Does he remember answering a written question from me only last week in which he appeared to accept that some detainees questioned by UK intelligence personnel "have complained about their treatment in detention"? Those complaints were about treatment not dissimilar to that in Abu Ghraib, which contravenes the Geneva conventions. Does he believe that those allegations are justified and is it not time that the Government did more to stand up for British nationals instead of kowtowing to the US? "
In response the Home Secretary, said the Government "have made appropriate representations to the United States authorities in relation to all those complaints."
Speaking after the debate, Norman commented:
"These detainees are held illegally by the US authorities. When interviewed by British intelligence officers, they told of deliberate abuses by their US captors which - if proven - would be in direct contravention of the Geneva Convention to which the US is a signatory.
"Yet it seems that all the British Government has done, when told by UK citizens that they had been mistreated, is to pass on those allegations to those who are illegally holding them and who are alleged to have abused them. It is appalling - particularly in the wake of the terrible human rights abuses committed by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq - that the British Government seems content to just stand by and refuse to act in the face of such allegations
"This Government has faced repeated accusations of sacrificing important principles in order to cosy up to the current US Government. Amongst other things this has dragged us into war in Iraq, increased the risk we now face of terrorist attack, and undermined efforts to combat climate change. How much more will Tony Blair sacrifice before he will stand up to George Bush and say 'enough is enough'?"