Babar Ahmad

"For the British writer/director see Babar Ahmed."

Babar Ahmad is a British Muslim and computer expert, born in London, England in 1974. He is one of the UK's Islamic terrorist suspects, and has been incarcerated since August 2004. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4441680.stm BBC NEWS | UK | The battle to banish Babar Ahmad ] ]

British police arrested Ahmad before releasing him without a charge in December 2003. Soon after his arrest, Babar Ahmad launched a complaint about the police, alleging he had been beaten and verbally abused while in custody. Eight months later, in August 2004, the US requested his extradition to face terror charges. [Terror suspect 'had naval plans' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3540374.stm Retrieved 24/09/07]

It is alleged that he was involved in an Islamic extremist Azzam Publications, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6429479.stm BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Terror charges for ex-US sailor ] ] [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/08/07/nterr107.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/08/07/ixnewstop.html News - Telegraph ] ] [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/12/abujihaad_and_azzam/] a London based shop. [ [http://www.cageprisoners.com/articles.php?id=3566 Cageprisoners.com - serving the caged prisoners in Guantanamo Bay ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1823045.stm BBC News | UK | Pro-jihad website draws readers ] ] Prosecutors stated the organization "was part of a conspiracy to provide material support and communications links to people engaged in terrorism" [http://news.scotsman.com/latest_international.cfm?id=369242007]

Background

Ahmad was born and raised in South London; and until his arrest in 2004, he lived in Tooting. His parents came from Pakistan in the early 1960s. His father is a retired civil servant and his mother worked as a science teacher. Ahmad has three siblings.

He went to a reputable public school where he obtained outstanding results at both GCSE and A-level. He went to university in London where he obtained a Master's Degree. Since graduating, he has worked in information technology support at Imperial College, London.

Alleged terrorist activity

Ahmad has been accused of running Islamic terrorist websites and raising funds for jihad in Chechnya and Afghanistan. He has been fighting extradition since he was arrested on August 5, 2004. He was arrested under Terrorism Act 2000 on December 2, 2003. He has held no prior criminal record.

Ahmad was questioned for six days in police custody. His house was searched for three days. His computers, printer and various documents were taken away for analysis. Samples of his DNA and fingerprints were distributed to law enforcement agencies in several countries. Ahmad was released on December 8, 2003 without charge.

Alleged torture

Ahmad laid a complaint with the Independent Police Complaints Commission [ [http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/news/pr101004_ahmed.htm Complaint by Mr Babar Ahmed ] ] alleging he had suffered assaults while in custody, and that police officers had desecrated a copy of the Quran. However, the resulting inquiry cleared all officers involved, and concluded Ahmad's complaints were unsubstantiated. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6342305.stm BBC NEWS | UK | Suspect's police claims rejected ] ]

2004 Re-arrest & US warrant

On August 5, 2004, Ahmad was arrested on an extradition warrant from the United States under the Extradition Act 2003 in South Kensington. [ [http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/07/sailor.arrested/index.html?iref=newssearch Former U.S. Navy sailor arrested on terror charges - CNN.com ] ] The US extradition warrant states their case claims offenses are alleged to have occurred on UK soil, relating to fund-raising for Chechen and Taliban.

As of September 2007, no evidence of suspect activity has been credited by either nation, although since 2004 he has been imprisoned without trial or charge by British authorities. He is awaiting possible extradition to America. Britain will not extradite Ahmad unless the United States guarantees they will not seek the death penalty.

He has been fighting extradition since his arrest. Ahmad's case is being considered by the European Court of Human Rights, which intervened on his behalf following the House of Lords rejection on his final appeal.

Free Babar Ahmad campaign

On October 19, 2004 the Free Babar Ahmad Campaign [ [http://www.freebabarahmad.com FREE Babar Ahmad ] ] was registered by Mrs Uzma Ahmad. Supporters include Dr. Suhaib Hasan; the Islamic Shariah Council of Great Britain; John Rees, National Secretary of the Respect political party; the Muslim Council of Britain; George Galloway MP; Colin Smith, Welfare Campaigns' Officer of Imperial College Students' Union; Ralph Raby, Former Graphics & Visualization Consultant at Imperial College; Stop Political Terror; the Islamic Human Rights Commission, the Campaign Against Criminalizing of Communities; the Muslim Association of Britain, The 1990 Trust, and the Stop the War Coalition.

On August 18, 2007 the campaign submitted a petition to Gordon Brown to stop the extradition of Ahmad to the US and to put him on trial in the UK. [http://www.themuslimweekly.com/fullstoryview.aspx?NewsID=FD64AD56EF75ACC64ED4A144&MENUID=HOMENEWS&DESCRIPTION=UK%20News]

Notes and references

ee also

*Moazzam Begg

Writings

* [http://www.yvonneridley.org/article.php?id=156 Three Years In Captivity] by Babar Ahmad

External links

* [http://www.freebabarahmad.com/ Official Support website]
* [http://www.cageprisoners.com/prisoners.php?id=1268 Caged Prisoners entry for Babar Ahmad] - Ahmad's poems, letters, articles, etc.

News articles

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2006/02/20/kurt_terrorism_justice_feature.shtml Isolating terrorists; preserving justice] - BBC News, last updated May 21 2007.
* [http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/07/sailor.arrested/index.html?iref=newssearch Former U.S. Navy sailor arrested on terror charges] - CNN, March 8 2007
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6159183.stm UK pair lose US extradition fight] - BBC News, November 30 2006
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4516566.stm Islamic group holds protest march] - BBC News, December 10 2005
* [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/11/16/uk.babar/index.html?iref=newssearch UK orders terror suspect extradition to U.S.] - CNN, November 16 2005
* [http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/10/06/terror.indictment/index.html?iref=newssearch Briton charged in terror conspiracy] - CNN, October 7 2004
* [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/17/uk.extradition/index.html?iref=newssearch Terror suspect 'can be extradited'] - CNN, May 17 2004
* [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/08/13/uk.terror/index.html?iref=newssearch Terror suspect remains in custody] - CNN, August 16 2004
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3546766.stm Father defends terror suspect son] - BBC News, August 8 2004
* [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/08/06/uk.terror/index.html?iref=newssearch Terror suspect 'had Navy plans'] - CNN, August 6 2004