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Ex-Guantánamo detainee Moazzam Begg held in Birmingham terror raids Ex-Guantánamo detainee Moazzam Begg held in Birmingham terror raids
(about 5 hours later)
A man arrested in terrorism raids in Birmingham on Tuesday morning is Moazzam Begg, the former Guantánamo detainee, the Guardian has learned. The former Guantánamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg, who became a vocal campaigner against the alleged excesses of the war on terror, is back in detention after being arrested for alleged terrorism offences linked to Syria.
West Midlands police said those arrested were connected to alleged Syria-related terrorism offences. Supporters of Begg, 45, claimed his arrest at his Birmingham home was politically motivated and aimed at halting his work trying to expose injsutices committed by the west. Begg was arrested on Tuesday morning on suspicion of attending a training camp in Syria and facilitating terrorism there.
Begg, 45, was arrested in Hall Green, Birmingham, and is suspected of attending a terrorist training camp and facilitating terrorism overseas. The Guardian understands that part of the allegations against him come from the security services, which passed information on to West Midland police's counter-terrorism unit. Detectives will try to prove or disprove whether Begg's activities amount to support of terrorism.
He was previously incarcerated by the United States in Guantánamo Bay before being released without charge. In recent years he has been a campaigner with the group Cageprisoners, which campaigns for those it says are unfairly targeted by the west's "war on terror". Begg openly wrote about his trips to Syria and said he had met an MI5 agent at a London hotel to discuss the visits. He claimed the domestic security service raised no problems with his plans.
Police said three men and a woman had been arrested on suspicion of terror offences connected to the conflict in Syria. Among British Muslims there was scepticism bordering on outright suspicion about the arrest. One Birmingham community leader said: "No one believes it, people know Moazzam, they believe it is linked to his work on torture and rendition."
A man aged 36, from the Shirley area of Solihull, and a 44-year-old woman and her 20-year-old son, both from Sparkhill in Birmingham, were also arrested on suspicion of facilitating terrorism overseas. The offences are all Syria-related, the force added. All four are being held at a police station in the West Midlands. Begg has worked for Cage, a campaigning group helping those it says have suffered from western measures to counter the al-Qaida threat.
The West Midlands police counter-terrorism unit confirmed to the Guardian that Begg was one of those arrested. Cerie Bullivant, of Cage, said: "Moazzam has been very open about his international travel and his objectives, including importantly exposing British complicity in rendition and torture. The timing of Moazzam's arrest, given his travel to Syria took place in December 2012, requires a detailed explanation."
Police stressed that arrest does not imply guilt. Police said: "We can confirm that Moazzam Begg was arrested this morning. Police were searching Begg's home in Birmingham. They said three other people in the West Midlands had also been arrested for alleged Syria-linked terror offences.
"We are confirming this name as a result of the anticipated high public interest to accredited media. We would take this opportunity to remind you of the requirement to report responsibly, that this is an arrest, not a charge, and that our naming does not imply any guilt." A man aged 36 from the Shirley area of Solihull and a 44-year-old woman and her 20-year-old son, both from Sparkhill in Birmingham, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating terrorism overseas. All four are being held at a police station in the West Midlands.
Detective Superintendent Shaun Edwards, head of investigations for the regional counter-terrorism unit, said: "All four arrests are connected. They were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no immediate risk to public safety. Police removed vehicles and electronic equipment for forensic examination. The scouring of computer hard drives and mobile phones taken from suspects is a standard counter-terrorism investigative measure.
"We continue to urge anyone planning to travel to Syria to read the advice issued by the Foreign Office." Police stressed that arrest did not imply guilt. "We can confirm that Moazzam Begg was arrested this morning. We are confirming this name as a result of the anticipated high public interest," they said.
Police were searching Begg's home in Hall Green and addresses linked to the three other people arrested. They said vehicles had been removed and taken away for forensic examination, along with electronic equipment. The scouring of computer hard drives taken from suspects is a standard counter-terrorism investigative measure. DS Shaun Edwards, head of investigations for the regional counter-terrorism unit, said: "All four arrests are connected. They were pre-planned and intelligence-led. There was no immediate risk to public safety."
Massoud Shadjareh, chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said: "As someone who knows Moazzam on a personal level and as a fellow campaigner and activist I am shocked by his arrest. He is far from an extremist and takfiri. As a matter of fact he has always a been a vocal critic of sectarian and takfiri elements." Begg had written about meeting MI5 in October 2012 to discuss his trips to Syria and said he believed the security agency had no objection. He wrote about visiting Syria that year and said he was researching "several leads regarding British and American complicity in rendition and torture in Syria". He was stripped of his UK passport after visiting Syria.
Takfiri is a term used to describe Sunni extremists who view as apostates all those who do not follow their austere interpretation of Islam.
Begg had written about meeting MI5 in October 2012 to discuss his trips to Syria and said he believed the UK's domestic security agency had no objection.
He wrote about visiting Syria that year and said he was researching "several leads regarding British and American complicity in rendition and torture in Syria". He was stripped of his UK passport after visiting Syria.
Begg said he was stopped by police at Heathrow airport in 2013 and told that his passport was being confiscated as it was "not in the public interest" for him to travel.Begg said he was stopped by police at Heathrow airport in 2013 and told that his passport was being confiscated as it was "not in the public interest" for him to travel.
A Home Office order given to him at that time stated that he had been assessed as being involved in terrorist activity because of an earlier visit to Syria. Begg wrote that the removal of his passport was politically motivated: "I am certain that the only reason I am being continually harassed – something that began long before any visit to Syria – is because Cageprisoners [the former name of Cage] and I are at the forefront of investigations and assertions based on hard evidence that British governments past and present have been wilfully complicit in torture."
Begg wrote that the removal of his passport was politically motivated: "I am certain that the only reason I am being continually harassed – something that began long before any visit to Syria – is because Cageprisoners and I are at the forefront of investigations and assertions based on hard evidence that British governments, past and present, have been wilfully complicit in torture." In January Begg condemned Britain's approach to Syria and the alleged criminalising of those who went out to fight there. He wrote: "It is not hard to understand why Muslims would want to go out to Syria to help. Scores of them go every month on humanitarian aid missions and face endless questioning at ports by British police under schedule 7 anti-terrorism powers. It is also understandable why people want to go out and fight for what they believe is a just cause, even if the wisdom of them doing so can be questioned."
In January Begg condemned Britain's approach to Syria and the alleged criminalising of those who go out to fight there. He wrote: "It is not hard to understand why Muslims would want to go out to Syria to help. Scores of them go every month on humanitarian aid missions and face endless questioning at ports by British police under schedule 7 anti-terrorism powers. It is also understandable why people want to go out and fight for what they believe is a just cause, even if the wisdom of them doing so can be questioned." One of his last tweets, posted at around 10pm on Monday, was about the Syria conflict. It read: "If you want to understand the history of the brutality in #Syria read the story of this sister, & let the tears flow."
One of his last Tweets at around 10pm on Monday was about the Syria conflict and read: "If you want to understand the history of the brutality in #Syria read the story of this sister, & let the tears flow." In 2001 Begg and his family left the UK for Afghanistan, where he says he worked on aid projects until the US bombing began, at which point he took his wife and three children to Pakistan. In 2002 he was detained in Pakistan, imprisoned in Bagram, Afghanistan, and then moved to Guantánamo. He was released in 2005 without charge after suffering torture and ill-treatment, and returned to Britain.
In 2001 Begg and his family left for Afghanistan, where he says he worked on aid projects until the US bombing, when he took his wife and three children to Pakistan. He was released from Guantánamo in 2005 without charge, and returned to Britain.
Begg was one of several British men who sued the British government for damages over their detention in Guantánamo. The government settled the case.Begg was one of several British men who sued the British government for damages over their detention in Guantánamo. The government settled the case.
UK counter-terrorism officials have warned of their increasing fears that Britons travelling to Syria to fight the Assad regime may be influenced by groups linked to al-Qaida to return home to stage terrorist attacks against the west.
It is estimated that around 250 Britons may have gone to Syria to fight, and police say they are arresting increasing numbers either on their way to fight or suspected of links to the conflict.
In an interview this month, the Home Office minister James Brokenshire said: "We remain vigilant to the risk that individuals may travel back and I think we will have an enduring position where the focus around the potential threat arising from Syria will remain with us for many, many years to come."
Begg used to run an Islamic bookshop in Birmingham, before he went to Afghanistan in 2001.