Posted on 06/14/2006 4:59:15 PM PDT by RDTF
London, 14 June (AKI) - Sitting as Britain's highest court, the House of Lords - the upper house of parliament - on Wednesday ruled that four Britons may not sue Saudi Arabian officials they allege tortured them. The House of Lords upheld Saudi Arabia's argument that its officials are protected by the State Immunity Act from proceedings being brought against them in Britain. The four men said they are disappointed at the verdict and vow to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.
The House of Lords allowed an appeal by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, against an October 2004 decision by Britain's Court of Appeal permitting the four men to sue for damages. Sandy Mitchell, Les Walker and Bill Sampson - who holds joint British-Canadian citizenship - were arrested after bomb attacks in the Saudi capital, Riyadh in 2000. The fourth man, Ron Jones, was seized after being injured in a bomb blast outside a bookshop in Riyadh in 2002.
Mitchell, Walker and Sampson were held in jail for 30 months, and Jones, for 67 days. During their imprisonment they allege they were tortured into accepting responsibility for the 2000 bombings. Jones' mistreatment by his captors - including being beaten on his hands and feet, suspended by his arms, deprived of sleep and forced to take mind-altering drugs - has been independently confirmed.
Reacting to the Law Lords ruling, Tamsin Allen, a lawyer for Mitchell, Sampson and Walker, said: "Our clients, who were all so severely tortured in a Saudi Arabian prison that they suffered damage to their hearts and permanent debilitating psychiatric damage, have been told they are not entitled to bring compensation proceedings in the UK against the men who tortured them."
(Excerpt) Read more at adnki.com ...
Thats a frightening concept. I can only imagine what types sit on that court..
Ba-al lah fubar!
Oh, BTW - /sarcasm
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