Court hearing in London reveals connections between UK spies and Gaddafi

In an article published with Middle East Eye on 12 December, Richard Norton-Taylor reports on the case defended by counsel Tom de la Mare who represents a group of 18 Libyan men claiming they were subjected to systematic abuse and wrongful imprisonment. The group is seeking admission of guilt by the British government and compensation for false imprisonment. On 10 December, there was a high court hearing on 12 December in London during which counsel de la Mare denounced that the imprisonment and abuses on the Libyan men resulted from years of secret ties between Britain’s security and intelligence agencies (MI5 and MI6) and the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Tom de la Mare attempted to demonstrate that the UK tolerated actions by Gaddafi and also engaged in ‘covert operations outside the rule of law’, unveiling an unexplored side of the relationship between Britain and the former Libyan leader. Lawyers representing  the MI5 and MI6 intelligence services and British government ministers argue that the measures taken the group of Libyan men were taken for reasons of ‘national security’. The hearing is continuing.Click here to read the article.