PM ambushed on civil liberties BAL‏

By Peter Tatchell

PM ambushed on civil liberties BAL‏

PM ambushed on civil liberties Gordon Brown heckled at Taking Liberties exhibition London – 30 October 2008 Prime Minister Gordon Brown was heckled as he finished his speechopening a new exhibition at the British Library last night (29 October2008). The new exhibition is entitled: Taking Liberties - The Struggle forBritain's Freedoms and Rights. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell took a few liberties of hisown, confronting Gordon Brown with the question: "Prime Minister, having seen this exhibition, can you tell us what youhave learned about the preservation of liberty, given that the Labourgovernment has done more to undermine civil liberties than anygovernment since World War Two?" "Gordon Brown ducked his head down and shuffled his feet, declining toreply," said Mr Tatchell. "He was caught out, embarrassed and speechless. I am surprised that hedid not even attempt to defend the government's record." As the Prime Minister prepared to leave the exhibition Mr Tatchellchallenged him again; this time about what he called the "framing" oftwo London-based Balochistan human rights campaigners, Hyrbyair Marriand Faiz Baluch. See details below. "They are on trial in London on charges of terrorism concocted by theagents of the former Pakistani dictator, Pervez Musharraf," said MrTatchell. "How can Gordon Brown talk about defending liberty when his governmentsupported the Musharraf dictatorship and is now colluding with falsecharges against Baloch activists who are defenders of democracy andhuman rights? "The Prime Minister's speech praised the British tradition liberty butLabour's policies are undermining it. The extension of detentionwithout charge to 28 days, restrictions on the right to protest nearparliament, increased interception of phone calls and emails andplanned IDs cards are all symptoms of ever greater state surveillanceand snooping. Labour is expanding the powers of the state at theexpense of the rights of the citizen," said Mr Tatchell. Further information: Peter Tatchell 020 7403 1790 London terror trial – Defendants framed Human rights activists on terrorism charges UK colludes with Musharraf's agents London UK – 30 October 2008 Two London-based human rights campaigners will stand trial onterrorism charges, starting next Monday 3 November at Woolwich CrownCourt in London, before Mr Justice Henriques. "This trial will expose high level collusion between the Britishgovernment and the agents of the former Pakistani dictator, PervezMusharraf," according to human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, whois a personal friend and political ally of the two defendants. "These men were framed by the Musharraf regime, to silence theirhighly effective campaigning against Pakistani human rights abuses inBalochistan," added Mr Tatchell. "The British government was blackmailed into arresting them.Musharraf's agents issued an ultimatum to the UK authorities: arrestthese men or we will halt all cooperation in the war on terror. TheLabour government caved in to these demands from Musharraf'sdictatorship. It decided these men were expendable for the so-calledgreater good of anti-terrorist cooperation with the Pakistani regime,"said Mr Tatchell. The defendants are Hyrbyair Marri and Faiz Baluch. They are accused ofpreparing acts of terrorism abroad – charges they strenuously deny.Both men have been law-abiding citizens. They fled to Britain toescape persecution by the military coup leader and tyrant, GeneralPervez Musharraf. Mr Marri is represented by Jim Nichol of TV Edwards Taylor Nicholsolicitors (020 7272 8336) and Mr Baluch is represented by GarethPeirce of Birnberg Peirce solicitors (020 7911 0166). Mr Marri is a former MP and government minister in the regionalassembly of Balochistan – a previously independent state, which wasinvaded and annexed by Pakistan in 1948, and which has ever since beenunder Pakistani military occupation. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Human Rights Commissionof Pakistan and the Asian Human Rights Commission have documented andcondemned severe and widespread human rights abuses by the Pakistaniarmed forces in Balochistan – abuses that amount to war crimes andcrimes against humanity, including the indiscriminate bombing ofcivilian areas and the systemic use of torture. Mr Marri's father, Nawab Khair Baksh Marri, a renowned Baloch nationalleader, attended Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, along withother world dignitaries, as a guest of the British government. His uncle is Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, the UN Special Representative toSudan and the former Pakistan Ambassador to the United States, and hiswife is the great grand daughter of the first Prime Minister of Iraq(1920-1922), Abdul Rahman al Gillani. Mr Marri and Mr Baluch, were arrested by police in London lastDecember. Mr Marri spent four months in Belmarsh high security prison,and Mr Baluch eight months. "The police and security agencies in the UK have pursued these terrorcharges based on evidence provided to them by Musharraf's dictatorship– a dictatorship that the arrested men campaigned against," said MrTatchell. "Our government has ignored the fact that Musharraf's henchmen in thePakistani intelligence agency, the ISI, are notorious for framingpolitical opponents, especially Baloch nationalists. "Marri and Baluch have been set up by Musharraf's agents because oftheir highly effective exposure of Pakistan's war crimes and crimesagainst humanity in annexed Balochistan. "This belief has been reinforced by the acting Interior Minister ofthe new democratic government of Pakistan, Rehman Malik. He recentlyannounced that terror charges against Mr Marri in Pakistan have beendropped; stating that the case against him had been politicallymotivated. This discredits the whole basis on which Marri and Baluchhave been charged in London. "Marri's and Baluch's arrest came just a few months after Musharrafdemanded that the British government arrest Baloch activists inLondon. In exchange, Musharraf offered to hand over Rashid Rauf,implying that action against the Baloch activists was a preconditionfor surrendering Rauf to the UK. Rauf is wanted in this country inconnection with the 2006 Islamist terror plot involving liquidexplosives on trans-Atlantic airliners, which resulted in theconviction of three men in London in September. He is also sought inconnection with a murder in the UK. "The arrest in London of Marri and Baluch took place two weeks afterPakistani government agents assassinated Marri's brother, BalachMarri, a prominent Baloch nationalist leader. "Prior to Marri's arrest, Musharraf's regime made repeatedrepresentations to the UK government that he was wanted on terrorismcharges in Pakistan - charges that have now been dropped by thePakistani authorities. "Soon after Musharraf met Gordon Brown at Downing Street in Januarythis year, he held a press conference for Pakistani journalists wherehe allegedly denounced Marri as a terrorist and praised the Britishgovernment and police for cooperating with his regime. "Claims of connivance are credible. For nine years, the UK's Labourgovernment supported Musharraf's dictatorship politically,economically and militarily, despite him having overthrown Pakistan'sdemocratically-elected government in 1999. Labour even sold him themilitary equipment that his army uses to kill innocent Baloch people. "Marri is an unlikely terrorist. He is a former Balochistan MP(1997-2002), and was the Minster for Construction and Works in theprovincial assembly in 1997-1998. He fled to Britain in 2000, fearingarrest, torture and possible assassination by Musharraf's men. "One of his brothers is Mehran Baluch. He is the Baloch Representativeto the UN Human Rights Council. He was the subject of an attemptedextradition plot last year by Musharraf's regime, on trumped upcharges. "The arrest of Marri - together with the murder of one brother and theattempt to frame another brother - looks like a systematic attempt totarget his family and crush three leading voices of Baloch dissent. "A former British Protectorate, Balochistan secured its independencein 1947, alongside India and Pakistan, but was invaded and forciblyannexed by Pakistan in 1948. The Baloch people did not vote forincorporation. They were never given a choice. Ever since, Balochistanhas been under military occupation by Islamabad. Baloch demands for areferendum on self-rule have been rejected. Democratically electedBaloch leaders who have refused to kow-tow to Pakistan's subjugationhave been arrested, jailed and murdered. "The Asian Human Rights Commission reports that Pakistani army raidshave resulted in 3,000 Baloch people dead, 200,000 displaced and 4,000arrested. Thousands more have simply disappeared," said Mr Tatchell. Further information: Peter Tatchell – 020 7403 1790 ENDS -- NOTE: Please do not reply via this automated email system. If you want to respond to this email, or at any time to contact Peter,please email him at his NEW email address - peter@petertatchell.net Peter Tatchell is the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Oxford Eastwww.greenoxford.com/peter and www.petertatchell.net PETER TATCHELL HUMAN RIGHTS FUND Donations are requested to help Peter Tatchell's campaigns promotinghuman rights, democracy and global justice. Peter is unpaid andreceives no grants. He depends on donations from friends andsupporters. Please make cheques payable to: "Peter Tatchell Human Rights Fund". Send to: PTHRF, PO Box 35253, London E1 4YF To download a donation form or a standing order mandate, go toDonations at: www.tatchellrightsfund.org For information about Peter Tatchell's campaigns: www.petertatchell.net

Posted on 2008.10.30Related links:Iran's war on Sunni Muslims Peter Tatchell
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لينکهاي مرتبط م
اسامي تعدادي از جوانان بلوچي که در دو سال اخير دستگير و در زندانهاي جمهوري اسلامي بسر ميبرند
A list of some of the arrested Baloch in Iran (Between 2006-2008)اسامي تعدادي از اعدام و کشته شدگان

بلوچ توسط نيروهاي انتظامي رژيم جمهوري اسلامي ايران....اينجا را کليک کنيد
A list of Baloch youth who killed by Iranian Regime in year 2005-2007 English)