| Lotfi Raissi, the Algerian pilot
who spent five months in jail fighting off claims that he trained
the September 11th hijackers, has spoken to the Today
programme about his treatment by British and US
authorities.
All the
charges against Lotfi were dropped after no evidence was found and
in an interview with this programme he says that unless he receives
a public apology from the British and American authorities he will
take legal action.
Click
here to hear the extended interview.
Lotfi
Raissi was the first person detained who was accused of being part
of the September 11th plot. But even though it soon became clear
that he had nothing to do with the attacks it took seven months for
him to fight off the charges.
He was
arrested at his flat near Heathrow in the days immediately
following September 11th and was questioned for seven days. He was
then rearrested on extradition proceedings launched by the United
States. But the only charges the US could muster were that he had
lied about a injury and an old theft conviction on his application
for a pilot licence. All the evidence supposedly linking him to the
terrorists proved to be wrong and in April all charges were finally
dropped.
But now
speaking to this programme Mr Raissi says that he wants a public
apology from both the US and the UK authorities for his treatment
and the impact its had on his life, blaming Scotland Yard, the FBI
and the Crown Prosecution Service for discrimination and an abuse
of his human rights. If no apology is forthcoming he has said his
lawyers will begin action against the authorities.
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