Statement of support for Moazzam Begg

<p style="font-size: 18px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 16px;">25/02/14</span></strong></p> We, the undersigned, show our support and solidarity for the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Moazzam Begg, who has been arrested over allegations of terrorism. Until the allegations are tested and challenged in a court of law we reiterate the fundamental right of all to presumption of innocence. Our experience with Moazzam Begg has been in his role as one of the foremost advocates against the abuses taking place in Guantanamo Bay, and as part of the wider programme of unlawful detentions and complicity in torture. Moazzam has worked tirelessly with CAGE and other human rights organisations in order to work for the settlement of Guantanamo Bay detainees to third party countries. For now we call upon the police to be vigilant in how Moazzam is treated in detention given the trauma he was subjected to while detained at Guantanamo Bay. We extend our support to his family as well as his colleagues at CAGE. <p style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Signatures</b></p> <strong>Muhammad Rabbani</strong>  Managing Director, CAGE <strong>Asim Qureshi</strong>   Director, Catalyst Worldwide Consulting <strong>Sir Geoffrey Bindman</strong>  Human Rights lawyer and Founder of Bindmans LLP <strong>Clive Stafford-Smith</strong>  Director, Reprieve <strong>Clare Algar</strong>   Executive Director, Reprieve <strong>Cori Cryder</strong>   Strategic Director of Abuses in Counter Terrorism, Reprieve <strong>Polly Rossdale</strong>    Deputy Director of Abuses in Counter Terrorism, Reprieve <strong>Sami El-Haj</strong> Manager of Public Liberties and Human Rights, Al Jazeera and Former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Qatar <strong>Phil Shiner</strong>    Principal, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Mourad Dhina</strong>   Executive Director, Al Karama <strong>Frances Webber</strong>   Vice-chair, Institute of Race Relations <strong>Prof Bill Bowering</strong>   Barrister and Lecturer,  Birkbeck University of London, UK <strong>Prof Laleh Khalili</strong>  Professor,  School of Oriental and African Studies, UK <strong>Prof David Miller</strong>  Professor, University of Bath, UK <strong>Rizwan Sabir </strong>  University of Bath, UK <strong>Saghir Hussain</strong>   Solicitor, HMA Solicitors <strong>Eeva Heikkila</strong>   Barrister, 9 Bedford Row <strong>Toby Cadman</strong>   Barrister, 9 Bedford Row <strong>Christopher Stanley</strong>  Legal Officer, Rights Watch UK <strong>Daniel Carey</strong>   Solicitor, Deighton Peirce Glynn <strong>Dr Ruth Blakely</strong>   Co-Director, The Rendition Project and University of Kent <strong>Dr Sam Raphael</strong>  Co-Director, The Rendition Project and Kingston University <strong>Carla Ferstman</strong>   Director, Redress <strong>Dr Nisha Kapoor</strong>  Lecturer, University of York <strong>Dr Anas al Tikriti</strong>  CEO, The Cordoba Foundation <strong>Dilower Khan</strong>   President, Islamic Forum of Europe <strong>Russell Fraser</strong>    Solicitor, Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers <strong>Malachy Killbride</strong>   Witness Against Torture <strong>Wendy Pettifer</strong>   Solicitor, Hackney Law Centre <strong>Paul Heron</strong>    Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Cianan Good</strong>   Solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Adriana Edmeades</strong>  Paralegal, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Beth Shiner</strong>   Trainee solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Emily McFadden</strong>   Trainee solicitor, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Leisha Shiner</strong>   Paralegal, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Paul McNab</strong>   Practice Manager, Public Interest Lawyers <strong>Estella</strong> <strong>Schmid </strong>  Campaign Against Criminalising Communties (CAMPACC) <strong>Les Levidow </strong>  Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC) <strong>Anne Gray</strong>   Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC) <strong>Patrick Carty</strong>   Justice Watch, Ireland <strong>Coleen Rowley</strong>   Tackling Torture at the Top <strong>Sonja Johnson</strong>   Tackling Torture at the Top <strong>Gary King</strong>   Tackling Torture at the Top <strong>Thomas Dickinson</strong>  Tackling Torture at the Top <strong>Mike Madden</strong>   Tackling Torture at the Top <strong>Lindsey German </strong>  Stop the War Coalition <strong>Abdullah Hasan </strong>  UKIM Masjid Khadija IADA <strong>Azad Ali </strong>  Muslim Safety Forum <strong>Dr Omer El-Hamdoon</strong>   Muslim Association of Britain <strong>Sharhabeel Lone  </strong> Kentish Town Community Organisation <strong>Mohammad Sawalha </strong>  President, British Muslim Initiative, UK <strong>Mohammed Kozbar</strong>   Islam Expo <strong>Saleem Kidwai, OBE  </strong> Muslim Council of Wales <strong>Mrs Firdous Arif</strong>   Muslim Women's Association UK <strong>Dr Sheikh Hojjat Ramzy</strong>   Oxford Islamic Information Centre <strong>Muhammad Jinani</strong>   Young Muslim Organisation UK <strong>Sister Helen Prejean</strong>   Author of <em>'Dead Man Walking'</em> and internationally known Social Activist <strong>John McLoughlin </strong>  UNISON <strong>Bob Pitt</strong>   Editor, Islamophobia Watch <strong>Abdullah Faliq </strong>  Chair, Enough Coalition Against Islamophobia <strong>Professor Richard Jackson</strong>   The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, NZ <strong>Imam Shakeel Begg </strong>  Imam, Lewisham Islamic Centre, UK <strong>Abdur Raheem Green</strong>   Co-Founder, Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK <strong>Yusuf Chambers</strong>   Co-Founder, Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK <strong>Saqib Sattar </strong>  Vice-Chairman,Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK <strong>Saleem Chagtai</strong>   Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK <strong>Hamza Andreas Tzortzis</strong>   Islamic Education and Research Academy, UK <strong>Abdullah al-Andalusi</strong>   Spokesman, Muslim Debate Initiative, UK <strong>Shaykh Shams Muhammad </strong>  Islamic Scholar, Khalifa Foundation, UK <strong>Zahed Ahmed </strong>  Khalil Foundation, UK <strong>Imam Wasim Kempson </strong>  Imam, Al-Muntada al-Islami, UK <strong>Omar Ali</strong>   President, FOSIS, UK <strong>Ibrahim Ali </strong>  Vice-President of Student Affairs, FOSIS, UK <strong>Mohammed Kozbar </strong>  Director, Finsbury Park Mosque, UK <strong>Tafazal Mohammad  </strong> Managing Director, Muslim Youth Skills, UK <strong>Arzu Merali</strong>   Islamic Human Rights Commission <strong>Baher Azmy</strong>   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA <strong>Wells Dixon</strong>   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA <strong>Omar Farah</strong>   Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA <strong>Shane Kadidal </strong>  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA <strong>Pardiss Kebriaei </strong>  Centre for Constitutional Rights, USA <strong>Ben Hayes</strong>   Statewatch <strong>Joy Hurcombe</strong>   Chair, Save Shaker Aamer Campaign <strong>Farooq Murad </strong>  Muslim Council of Britain <strong>AbdelRahman Mussa </strong>  CEO, MAB Youth <strong>Ismail Patel</strong>   Friends of Al-Aqsa <strong>Shaykh Zahir Mahmood </strong>  As-Suffa Institute <strong>Imam Shaqur Rehman </strong>  Redbridge Islamic Centre <strong>Alomgir Ali</strong>   MRDF <strong>Abdul Khaliq Ebrahim Allie</strong>   Muslim Judicial Council <strong>Kamran Khan</strong>   Chair, Bolton Council of Mosques <hr /> <strong>Individual Supporters</strong> <strong>Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari  </strong>Author, Activist and Parenting Consultant <strong>Mark Steel</strong> Comedian <strong>John Pilger </strong>Investigative Journalist <strong>Shaykh Sulaiman Ghani </strong>Islamic Scholar <strong>Shaykh Shafiur </strong>Rahman Islamic Scholar <strong>Shaykh Abu Abdissalaam </strong>Islamic Scholar <strong>Fareena Alam </strong>Social Activist <strong>Dr Scharlette Holdman </strong>Mitigation Specialist <strong>Terry Holdbrooks </strong>Former guard at Guantanamo Bay <strong>Dr Uthman Lateef </strong>Khateeb and Researcher <strong>Bisher al-Rawi </strong>Former Guantanamo Bay detainee <strong>Omar Deghayes </strong>Former Guantanamo Bay detainee <strong>Tarek Dergoul </strong>Former Guantanamo Bay detainee <strong>Jarallah al-Marri </strong>Former Guantanamo Bay detainee <strong>Jim Harrington </strong>Attorney for Guantanamo Bay detainee <strong>Major Todd Peirce </strong>Former US Military attorney <strong>LT CMD Kevin Bogucki </strong>US Military attorney <strong>Captain Michael Schwartz </strong>US Military attorney <strong>Cheryl Bormann </strong>Attorney<strong> </strong>for Guantanamo Bay detainee <strong>Victoria Brittain </strong>Journalist and author <strong>Arun Kundnani </strong>Author <strong>Dr Reza Pankhurst </strong>Academic and author <strong>Hodan Yusuf </strong>Journalist and mediator <strong>Imran Awan </strong>Author <strong>Aamer Anwar </strong>Human Rights lawyer <strong>Dr David Nicholl </strong>Consultant Neurologist <strong>Noam Chomsky </strong>Philosopher, Cognitive, Scientist, Logician, Political Commentator and Activist <strong>Dr Norman Finkelstein </strong>Political, Scientist, Activist, Professor and Author <strong>Luke Daniels </strong>President of Caribbean Labour Solidarity <strong>Frankie Boyle</strong> Comedian <strong>Aamer Rahman</strong> Comedian <hr /> <strong>Supporters from South Africa </strong> <strong>Feroze Ahmed Boda </strong>Advocate <strong>Yusuf Dockrat </strong>Advocate <strong>Shabnem Mayet </strong>Advocate <strong>Yusuf Ismail </strong>Attorney <strong>Yousha Tayob </strong>Attorney <strong>Afzal Mosam </strong>Advocate <strong>Zaheer Adam </strong>Attorney <strong>Ziyad Patel </strong>Attorney <strong>Farhana Ismail </strong>Attorney <strong>Nasser Tayob </strong>Attorney <strong>Nadeem </strong><strong>Mohammed</strong> Attorney <strong>Afzal Abba </strong>Attorney <strong>Ridwaan Boda </strong>Attorney <strong>Nazmeera Cassim </strong>Psychiatrist <strong>Muhammad Kajee </strong>Advocate <strong>Shehnaaz Rawat </strong>Advocate <strong>Ahmed Cajee </strong>Advocate <strong>Hassen Kajee </strong>Advocate