EUROPEAN TORTURE WATCHDOG CONDEMNS TREATMENT OF BELMARSH PRISONERS

1.28.32pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 9th Jun 2005

A report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) details the inhuman and degrading treatment of suspected international terrorists detained in the UK under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

This comes hot on the heels of a broader report by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe (sister organisation to the EU) which condemned a range of civil liberties breaches by Britain.

Commenting on the report Baroness Sarah Ludford, London MEP and European justice spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats said:

"This is the second time in two days that the UK government's anti-terrorism legislation has been slammed by the most prominent European human rights watchdogs."

"It is truly shocking for the Blair government to maintain that racist and verbal abuse by staff at Belmarsh Prison is part of a balanced response to the terrorist threat.".

"British court judgements have so far disgracefully endorsed the government's claim that it should be able to rely on evidence obtained - supposedly abroad - under torture. Anyone who cares about the UK's reputation must devoutly hope that the House of Lords overturns them in its judgement expected this autumn."

ENDS