http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/713376...

UK Guantanamo four to be released

Four of the five British residents held by the US at Guantanamo Bay are to be released, the BBC has learned. The UK government requested the release of all five men in August after previously refusing to intervene as they were not British citizens.

Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdenour Samuer will come back to the UK, while Shaker Abdur-Raheem Aamer will return to his native Saudi Arabia.

The government has not confirmed the move and a release date is unknown.

'Red tape'

The men's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, said: "There's no doubt that the agreement has been struck, that they will return home. The question is, when?

"There's no reason why they couldn't come home tomorrow, but the US are insisting on a lot of red tape."

He said it was possible that British police could question them on their return to the UK, but doubted they would be detained further "because they are not a threat to Britain in any way".

"It's about time they were returned to their families and we're grateful to the British government for making this happen" - Reprieve

The fifth British resident held at Guantanamo, Ethiopian Binyam Mohammed al Habashi, will remain there. His lawyer, Stephen Watt, from the American Civil Liberties Union, said his client would be devastated. "The fact that Binyam is being left behind in Guantanamo is really extremely disappointing and I know, having spoken to his brother here in the US, that that's going to come as a real blow to him," Mr Watt told BBC News.

Just over 300 prisoners are held at the facility, set up at a US naval base in Cuba after the invasion of Afghanistan in early 2002. The US has argued that foreign nationals captured and detained outside the US have no recognisable constitutional rights.

Lawyer Zachary Katznelson, of human rights group Reprieve, which represents UK residents at Guantanamo, said all five British residents at Guantanamo had received "nothing at all in the way of justice".

"It's about time they were returned to their families and we're grateful to the British government for making this happen," he added.

TIBET SUPPORT GROUP GRAMPIAN & AMNESTY CITY GROUP

Tibet Support Group Grampian will be joined by the local Amnesty Group on a stall in St Nicholas Street (outside Marks & Spencer) on Human Rights Day, Monday 10 December, between 12.00 and 2.00 pm.

You could also combine this with visiting the Arts Centre and seeing the emotive exhibition of paintings, 'Journey into Exile', by Tibetan refugee children who have escaped over the Himalayas into Nepal and India.

NEXT MEETING - GREETINGS CARD CAMPAIGN 2008 - THURSDAY 13TH DECEMBER -
KILAU CAFE - 8PM

If you don't know where Kilau is - http /maps.google.co.uk/mapsie=UTF
 8&q=kilau,&near=Aberdeen&fb=1&cid=
 0,0,1737665453696943070&ll=57.1493
 01,-2.100577&spn=0.010173,0.028925&z=1
 5&iwloc=A&om=1

We will be meeting for a nice cup of (fairtrade!) hot choccy at Kilau for a couple of hours to sit and make some lovely artistic cards to sent to prisoners of conscience all around the world. Bring your colouring in pens and pencils and some blank cards to decorate! We will be bringing
some stuff along too, so don't worry tooooo much if you forget to bring stuff, but it would be good if you brought some blank cards along especially.

Some details on the GCC 08 - http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.as...

We have all the details of who to write to and their stories, etc, so don't worry about that aspect

It would be really nice to see everyone off before Christmas, and this is one of the most amazing campaigns that Amnesty runs. It really makes a difference to the people you send cards to. I have typed up some quotes i think really highlight how important it is to send at least one card to a prisoner of conscience. (I 'may' have cried at a few of them :-S)