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| Britain |
| UK sought pardon for Abu Qatada, judges told |
| 2012-10-11 |
| British Home Office ministers sought a pardon for Jordanian terror suspect Abu Qatada in an effort to deport him from the UK. James Brokenshire, then the security minister, asked Jordanian ministers in February if the radical cleric could be pardoned if returned. Even when Brokenshire was told this was not possible, the Government had a "plan B" to research when the King of Jordan could issue such a pardon, an immigration appeals tribunal heard. Anthony Layden, the former British ambassador to Libya, revealed details of the talks which occured in a meeting in Jordan on February 14. Under cross-examination by Edward Fitzgerald QC, for Qatada, Layden agreed that the possibility of a pardon for Qatada had been explored. He said, "I think the question of a pardon had been asked earlier and Mr Brokenshire was asking for an answer." The pardon was being sought because the evidence against Qatada was "granted by torture", Layden agreed. Layden also said simple assurances from the Jordanian government that evidence obtained by torture would not be used were never going to be enough to deport him since it was a matter for the prosecutors and the courts, not the government. The British Government also asked Jordanian prosecutors if they would give "an undertaking in advance that they would not rely on the statements" gained through torture, but the Jordanians refused. An attempt to get the State Security Court to rule on the admissibility of the statements before Qatada is deported was also rejected. |
| Posted by:ryuge |