Lords' rejection of unfair trials and internment is lead for Europe, US to follow

11.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 31st Oct 2007

Welcoming the House of Lords judgement on control orders and secret evidence, Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford, vice-chair of the European Parliament committee on extraordinary rendition, said:

"Given the persuasive value that House of Lords judgements have across Europe and in the 'old dominions', this clarion call for fair trials and against internment for terrorist suspects is a significant part of the fight back for the rule of law eroded by governments in the last 6 years. The US Supreme Court must back this by affirming habeas corpus rights for Guantanamo Bay prisoners in its upcoming judgment."

"European parliamentarians have shown that our governments colluded with Bush to smash traditional liberties in the 'war on terror'. The judges' fight-back gives hope that abduction, torture, secret detention and kangaroo courts will before long be seen as a nightmarish aberration."

"Only by upholding liberty and justice through fair trials will we defeat the dearest objectives of terrorists who want us both together to destroy 'western civilisation'."