Reacting to today’s House of Commons statement from the Foreign Secretary David Miliband on the case of Binyam Mohamed, a UK resident held at Guantánamo Bay, Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:

“Frankly it’s shocking that David Miliband is basically arguing that torture should be covered up.

“It’s not enough to pass this matter to a semi-secret committee or the Attorney General, instead we need a proper independent public inquiry into Binyam’s case and the wider practice of rendition and secret detention.

“The government constantly says it opposes torture in all instances but then when it discovers it’s taken place - possibly with the connivance of UK intelligence officials - the government appears to go into cover-up mode.

“There is a strong public interest in knowing what both UK and US agents are doing in our name, especially when it involves the secret detention and alleged torture of a UK resident.

“The Foreign Secretary should now change tack and allow information about Binyam Mohamed’s treatment and UK involvement come to light.

“The UK government should also press harder for Binyam’s immediate release from Guantánamo, for the release of Shaker Aamer and Ahmed Belbacha (two other men with longstanding links to the UK), and it should assist moves to close the camp by offering humanitarian protection to vulnerable prisoners who need a place to go to.”