Background
(written by MPS)
Faraj Hassan is a Libyan National who was arrested in the United Kingdom under immigration charges. Since that point, he has been incarcerated without trial for 4 years, followed by an extremely limiting control order that he remains being subjected to in the Midlands . Helptheprisoners.org intends to cover the circumstances in detail within the coming weeks via an in-depth campaign pack.
However, there is one issue in particular that requires specific mention and action as a matter of priority. He is currently being subjected to Financial Sanctions ostensibly by the United Nations, but in reality this has been applied by both the Italian and British Governments who are aware that this sanction should never have been applied yet continue to mentally torture this young man of 28.
The sanctions are often reported by the Media as being “United Nations†sanctions, however few understand how these are actually requested. Practically, these are submitted via an application by a government of a member state, who outline why this person should be subjected to financial sanctions. The procedure is designed to halt terrorist funds being used to commit acts of violence, however they are being misapplied by the United Kingdom and other European states in order to give validity to their continuing harassment of the Muslim Community and in deportation cases.
On the form for submission to the United Nations, it is only required to assert that a person is a member of a terrorist entity and to provide sources as “intelligence sourcesâ€. The intelligence sources in Farajs case have consisted of the following :-
1. The Libyan Government alleging that he is a member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.
This is the same Libya that committed many major terrorist attacks upon European Soil. This includes the bombing of Pam Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in which hundreds of innocent civilians were killed, the same Libya that attacked a flight enroute to Paris again with hundreds of casualties, and the same Libya that attacked a nightclub in Germany being used by US Service Personnel. This is not to mention the murder of dissidents within the United Kingdom together with the Murder of PC Yvonne Fletcher. Libya also until very recently openly funded and supplied the Irish Republican Army, a proscribed organisation.
It is surely of Kafka-esque proportions that a “terrorist†state, widely condemned year on year by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others may submit representations to Italy and the United Kingdom, and these representations are then taken at face value whilst expert witnesses descriptions of the conditions within Libya and their frequent reneging of assurances and laissez-faire attitudes to facts ( recently claiming that Bulgarian Nurses and a Palestinian deliberately infected babies with HIV as opposed to blaming the conditions of their hospitals) are disregarded and dismissed by Judges.
2. Submissions by the Italian Government
The Italian Government submitted his name and details to the United Nations committee. They of course had a vested interest in doing so in 2002, as they were attempting to extradite him to Italy from the United Kingdom where he had claimed asylum. Through doing this, they could claim in an open court that he was recognised by the United Nations as a “terrorist†and should be extradited, thereby becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is interesting to note that his two co-defendants in this extradition attempt were found innocent of all terrorism-related charges.
3. Submissions by the British Government
The British Government currently deliver most of their evidence in “secretâ€, and as such it is difficult to see the grounds as to why they continue to hold Faraj under control orders. One such reason may be the need to restore diplomatic relations with Libya and offer him as a “bargaining chipâ€, another may be to convince the population of a “terror threat†in order to continue to have a mandate for occupying sovereign territories for financial gain. however this is all conjecture and outwith the scope of this alert. Of the open “evidenceâ€, it is mainly that supplied by the Libyan and Italian Governments.
Faraj has always emphatically denied that he is involved in any kind of extremism, and indeed when his co-defendants had the opportunity to be challenged in an open court, this position was vindicated.
A press report of the trial in Italy which Faraj would have been in had the Italian government been successful in their extradition reported that “A Milan Court on Monday 9th May 2005 cleared five Tunisians accused of helping terrorist attacks outside Italy and of recruiting militant foreign fighters.â€
Faraj has continually requested the opportunity to have his case heard in an open court with public evidence which his defence team can challenge in front of an impartial jury. This has continually been denied to him, a sad indication of the state of Britain today.
He is now under a control order under extremely repressive conditions, of which the financial sanctions are but one factor. He is not allowed to handle any money, his house is regularly searched for evidence of him holding money ( this can be as long as 9 hours ), and he does not even receive enough for basic expenses as per UN Sanctions regulations. The British Government seem to want to frustrate him to leave, however they do not seem to grasp that he is at risk of torture if he were to leave the relevant security of the United Kingdom. Surely the fact that he refuses to leave proves in itself that his life is in danger and he is innocent?
Actions Required
To request that the British Government request the United Nations to lift the financial sanctions currently applied to Faraj which is persecuting not only him but also his family through their enforced poverty based upon slanderous allegations by a terror-sponsoring state.
To appeal to the United Nations directly in order to give Faraj derogation to challenge the sanctions enforcement personally and seek de-listing.
To write to the Libyan government, asking them to remove their unsubstantiated and slanderous allegations.
Key Contacts
Focal Point for De-listing Security Council Subsidiary Organs Branch
Room S-3055-E
United Nations New York,
NY 10017 ,
USA.
Tel. + 1 917 367 9448
Fax. + 1 212 963 1300/3778
Email:
delisting@un.org
Libyan Embassy
15 Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7LY
Tel: 020 7201 8280
Fax: 020 7245 0588
The Special Immigration AppealsCommission
PO Box 36469
London
EC4A 1WR
Home Office
Direct Communications
Unit 2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Telephone: 020 7035 4848
Fax: 020 7035 4745
Email:
public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Sample Letter
Dear <Name>,
I write to you regarding Faraj Hassan, AKA Detainee AS, who is currently being held under a control order and subjected to United Nations Sanctions Enforcement Order 1267.
Faraj has always emphatically denied that he is involved in any kind of extremism, and indeed when his co-defendants had the opportunity to be challenged in an open court, this position was vindicated.
The application was made whilst he was awaiting extradition to Italy on terrorism charges, however this procedure was later abandoned, with his co-defendants cleared of any terrorism involvement. Despite this, he remains on the list.
These measures are extremely punitive and have a massive impact on both himself and his family. The house he lives in is frequently searched and disrupted, he is forced to live in abject poverty being prohibited from handling any funds. He is often subjected to bouts of depression and loneliness due to the excessive restrictions imposed on him.
He believes he has been subjected to these measures because Libya wish to persecute him. Libya has of course been implicated in numerous terrorist incidents in the past, therefore it is the height of Irony that he is an innocent young man accused of terrorism by a former terrorist state.
I urge you to immediate lift the sanctions placed upon Faraj Hassan, to allow himself and his family to move forward from this bad blot on British Justice, and to allow him to lead a normal life.
I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Regards,
<NAME>
_________________________________
SOURCE : Helptheprisoners.org