Protest over 'shabby show trials'

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The UK government is being urged by human rights campaigners to protest against military trials due to begin on Monday at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Amnesty International said ministers should press for the eight UK residents at the US camp to be given fair trials or immediately released.

The charity wants the US to transfer the cases to civilian federal courts.

The White House insists it has to hold and try people at Guantanamo as part of its fight against terrorism.

But Tony Blair has described the camp as an "anomaly" and called for it to be closed down.

'Shabby show trials'

Some 370 suspects accused by the US of being "enemy combatants" are thought to be detained at the camp, which has been criticised for holding inmates without trial and for abuse allegations

Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK director, said: "Military commissions are a complete travesty of justice - no more, no less.

"We want to see the US government abandon these shabby show trials and transfer Guantanamo cases to proper civilian federal courts on the US mainland."

She added: "Recently we've begun to hear relatively strong criticism from the UK Government about the 'affront to democracy' that Guantanamo represents.

"Now we want to see that backed by action.

"Tony Blair and other ministers should step in - not just in terms of making it abundantly clear that Guantanamo trials are a travesty of justice, but also by calling for UK residents held at Guantanamo to be given fair trials or immediately released."

Amnesty says the trials will be run wholly by the US military, and will allow evidence obtained under duress and from secret detention centres.

The tribunals can impose the death penalty - with only limited means of appeal - or detain suspects indefinitely, Amnesty added. Australian national David Hicks is due to be arraigned on Monday.

It's frightening that my brother's ordeal at Guantanamo could now include a sham trial before an unfair military court Amani Deghayes, sister of detainee

Guantanamo holds at least eight men with UK residency rights - meaning they have successfully won asylum in the UK but have not become British citizens.

They include 37-year-old old Brighton resident Omar Deghayes, who has been held for more than four years after being detained in Pakistan in 2002.

His sister Amani Deghayes said: "It's frightening that my brother's ordeal at Guantanamo could now include a sham trial before an unfair military court.

"The family has always said that we're not looking for special favours for Omar - only justice.

"We want Omar to get a fair trial or to get his release - and we want the UK Government to stop sitting on its hands and to help him and the other UK residents."

Mr Deghayes' family fled Libya in 1986, six years after his father was assassinated by Colonel Gaddafi's regime - an incident reported by Amnesty International at the time.

In 2005, Mr Deghayes' lawyer, Clive Stafford-Smith, said his client had been blinded in one eye by American military police at Guantanamo Bay.

Last September Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer called Guantanamo a "shocking affront to democracy" and the following month Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett reiterated Mr Blair's call for it to be closed down.