Human Rights

A couple of years ago, the Saudi authorities arrested a handful of British expats; there had recently been a few explosions in and around Riyadh and the Saudi authorities were keen to cover up the fact that Al-Qaeda operate on their territory. Thus they made up some total bollocks about a 'bootlegger's turf war (alcohol is illegal in Saudi Arabia) being responsible. These British guys - who were, naturally beaten up and tortured by the police - "confessed" and (a couple of them) were sentenced to death by public beheading...meanwhile Jack Straw (the deputy foreign secretary - the head honcho at the FCO is, as well all know il-Presidente Tony) wrung his hands. To criticise Mr Bush's friends would just be rude.

Anyway these guys were eventually released and fled to London...where they prompted sued the Saudi government; initially they were unsuccessful, it being held that Saudi is entitled to state immunity). However last October the court of appeal (obviously having one of its more enlightened days) overturned this decision saying a state wasn't entitled to a blanket immunity in respect of "serious international crimes" committed by its officials...today lawyers for the three men got permission from the appeal court to seize Saudi state assets in order to pay their costs (which it has been ordered to do). Given Saudi Arabia's one of the richest countries in the world I'm sure they won't have any trouble in finding £100,000 worth of assets to get their sweaty palms on...maybe some of the royal family's rolls royces for starters ?

Another source of potential amusement awaits : what happens when some enterprising human rights lawyer comes along and tries to apply the principles of this case to US torture in Guantanamo/God knows where ? Presumably the case will be confined "to its special facts" - we can't very well go upsetting our friends now can we (those familiar with human rights might compare the treatment of jurisdiction in Bankovic - NATO states and Lozidou - Turkey).

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As an aside apparently its now possible for terrorist suspects to be extradited to the US without the US authorities having to demonstrate any kind of prima facie case...how many people have heard of the Extradition Act 2003; I certainly hadn't before today. Of course once 'stateside' there's nothing to stop them being declared enemy combatants and 'extraordinarily-rendered' (American-English for kidnapped) to anywhere in the world...

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Oh one last thing, met a very-corporate focused Slovakian the other day (they do exist), and he asked me what human rights were and what was the point in studying them...I then explained explained, "human rights is when they take your money away"...incidentally anywhere taking bets on the Khordorkovsky verdict ?