Fresh appeal over Cuba Britons

Terror suspects Feroz Abbasi (l) and Moazzam Begg (r)

The Liberal Democrats' foreign affairs spokesman is calling for eight Britons being held on suspicion of terrorism at a US military base in Cuba not to be tried under a military tribunal.

Menzies Campbell called on Prime Minister Tony Blair to ask the US president to bring the men to trial in a US court or under the British legal system.

The MP fears the men - aged between 20 and 35 - might not otherwise receive a fair trial.

"The proper way to do this is through the existing legal system to ensure individuals go on trial with as many of the attributes, rights and privileges that go with the normal system," he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend.

They are in legal no-man's land Menzies Campbell, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman

"They are essentially in legal no-man's land, there is no system of law to which they can have recourse to try and enforce their rights."

The Department of Trade and Industry secretary, Patricia Hewitt, told the programme she had no doubt that when Mr Blair met George Bush later this week he would be reiterating the point he had made previously that people accused of terrorist crimes must have a fair trial.

"Of course we will make those representations and we will have those discussion in the interests of our citizens and of justice," she said.

Black hole

The US is holding at least 680 suspected al-Qaeda and Taleban members - or "unlawful combatants" - at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Mr Campbell says terror suspects at the camp have no recourse to any system of law

President Bush decided earlier this month six of them - including Britons Moazzam Begg, from Birmingham, and Feroz Abbasi, from Croydon, and Australian David Hicks - should face trial in a military tribunal rather than in a regular court.

The announcement sparked a wave of protest from human rights groups and appeal judges who said the tribunals would be a "legal black hole".

Stephen Jakobi of campaign group Fair Trials Abroad says he had great concerns about the proposed tribunals adding that all EU nationals held at the base should be tried in their home countries or a "Lockerbie-style" court.

Father's concerns

Mr Begg, a 35-year-old father-of-four, from the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham was arrested by the CIA in Pakistan in February 2002.

Main differences between military tribunals and civilian courts: Many safeguards given to defendants in civilian courts - such as protection against self-incrimination, right to the defence of one's choice and to be told of the prosecution's charges and evidence - do not necessarily apply. Convictions in civilian courts must be unanimous, while military tribunals could convict by a two-thirds majority Different rules of evidence apply, with lower standards for admission Defendants are not guaranteed the right to appeal against convictions in military tribunals Civilian trials must be open to the public, military tribunals can be held in secret

The news that he is to be among the first to face a military tribunal in the US over his alleged connections with al-Qaeda came as a shock to his family.

His father Azmat Begg, 63, said his son was employed as a teacher and charity worker when he was arrested in Islamabad.

The retired bank manager strongly denies his son was involved with al-Qaeda.

He said: "I will do anything to bring him here and put him before British justice. If he's done anything wrong go ahead and punish him.

"But if he's not done anything wrong can they repair all that he has suffered?"

Colonel Will Gunn, the chief defence lawyer in military trials, has said he will push for proceedings to be as open as possible, saying the US would be judged on the fairness of the process.