dcsh 2008-2-15 08:17 PM
9/11 case pilot can claim damages
9/11 case pilot can claim damages
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Lotfi Raissi says his life was destroyed by the accusations
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[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_7240000/newsid_7244400?redirect=7244497.stm&news=1&nbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1&bbram=1&asb=1][img]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/icons/video_text.gif[/img][b]Lotfi Raissi reaction[/b][/url]
[/td] [/tr] [/table] [b]A pilot wrongly accused of training the 9/11 hijackers is entitled to claim damages, the Court of Appeal has ruled.[/b][/size][size=2]Judges said evidence suggested "serious defaults" in thedecision to detain Lotfi Raissi in prison for nearly five months aftera US extradition request.[/size]
[size=2]The ruling means the government has to reconsider the 33-year-old's claim for compensation, which it had refused. [/size]
[size=2]Mr Raissi wants an apology and says his claim may run into millions of pounds. The government has said it may appeal.[/size]
[size=2][b]'Faith in justice'[/b][/size]
[size=2]Speaking after the judgement, Mr Raissi, of west London,said he had suffered a miscarriage of justice, and had now been"completely exonerated".[/size]
[size=2] [table=208] [tr] [td][img=5,1]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif[/img][/td] [td] [img=24,13]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif[/img] [b]Thepublic labelling of the appellant as a terrorist... continues to have,so it is said, a devastating effect on his life and on his health[/b] [img=23,13]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif[/img]
Lord Justice Hooper
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[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7245472][b]Profile: Lotfi Raissi[/b][/url]
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[size=2]"I am very glad. I always had faith in British justice.[/size]
[size=2]"Surely I can expect to hear from the home secretary with the long-awaited apology very soon."[/size]
[size=2]He said his wrongful arrest had left him blacklisted as a pilot and unable to work.[/size]
[size=2]"They destroyed my life, they destroyed my career. For this I will never, ever forgive them," he said.[/size]
[size=2]Mr Raissi said mistakes had been made but he hoped they would be rectified so he could move on with his life.[/size]
[size=2]"I have tremendous respect for this country, for thepeople here and for this society... and I have no regrets living hereor living the rest of my life here." [/size]
[size=2]His lawyer, Jules Carey, said Mr Raissi's life had been"completely ruined" and he needs to be compensated for his loss ofcareer, what happened to his family and his health and for his loss ofliberty.[/size]
[size=2][b]'Public acknowledgement'[/b][/size]
[size=2]In giving the court's judgment, Lord Justice Hoopersaid: "The public labelling of the appellant as a terrorist by theauthorities in this country, and particularly by the CPS, over a periodof many months has had and continues to have, so it is said, adevastating effect on his life and on his health.[/size]
[size=2]"He considers that, unless he receives a publicacknowledgement that he is not a terrorist, he will be unable to gethis life back together again."[/size]
[size=2] [table=203] [tr][td] [img=203,152]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/44426000/jpg/_44426724_raissi_ap203b.jpg[/img] Mr Raissi's wife Sonia lost a claim for compensation last year
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[size=2]Mr Raissi first applied for compensation in March 2004under a Home Office scheme for people deprived of their liberty becauseof a miscarriage of justice.[/size]
[size=2]He is claiming compensation for the time spent in prison and the money he paid to train as a pilot, estimated at about £60,000. [/size]
[size=2][b]Extradition warrant[/b][/size]
[size=2]The Algerian pilot was arrested under the Terrorism Actat his home in the UK soon after the 11 September attacks on New Yorkand Washington in 2001. [/size]
[size=2]He was held under an extradition warrant issued at therequest of the US government, which accused him of having trained the19 hijackers.[/size]
[size=2]The US alleged he attended flight training and used aflight simulator at a training school in Arizona at the same time as9/11 hijacker Hani Hanjour. [/size]
[size=2] [table=208] [tr] [td=1,1,5][img=5,1]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif[/img][/td] [td] [img=24,13]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif[/img] [b]We are considering the implications and whether or not to appeal[/b] [img=23,13]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif[/img]
Ministry of Justice
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[size=2]Mr Raissi remained in Belmarsh Prison forfour-and-a-half months until he was granted bail. The Crown ProsecutionService, which was representing the US, had objected to bail.[/size]
[size=2]It later emerged that Mr Raissi and Hanjour may haveflown on the same day at the flight school and may have trained on thesimulator together.[/size]
[size=2]However, there was no evidence he trained Hanjour or had any links with him or any of the other hijackers.[/size]
[size=2]In April 2002, a judge ruled that there was no evidence connecting Mr Raissi to terrorism. [/size]
[size=2]His appeal case was originally brought against the homesecretary, but following the department's split, a decision on anycompensation will be made by the Justice Secretary, Jack Straw.[/size]
[size=2][b]Decision reversed[/b][/size]
[size=2]David Blunkett, who was home secretary when the Raissicase came to court in 2002, said the director of public prosecutionsand the attorney general were responsible for deciding whether to takea case through the courts, not the home secretary.[/size]
[size=2]The Ministry of Justice said the court's judgementreversed a decision made by the divisional court in the secretary ofstate's favour. [/size]
[size=2]"We are considering the implications and whether or not to appeal," a spokesman said.[/size]
[size=2]In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said: "We will study the issues raised which affect us. [/size]
[size=2]"The judgement reaches no firm conclusions regarding the CPS and we were not formally involved in the proceedings." [/size]
[size=2]The Metropolitan Police also stressed it was not party to the legal proceedings.[/size]
[size=2]"As always, our overriding concern was for the safety ofthe public and information passed to the Crown Prosecution Service inconnection with the extradition proceedings was provided in accordancewith UK law," a Scotland Yard spokesman said.[/size]
[size=2]Mr Raissi's brother, Mohamed, was also arrested anddetained for 42 hours, but won compensation from the MetropolitanPolice last year, the level of which has yet to be determined. The Metare appealing against the judgement.[/size]
[size=2]Mr Raissi's wife, Sonia, however, had her damages claim for £150,000 for being held for five days rejected by the High Court.[/size]
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