A 45-year-old terrorist who sued MI5 and MI6 for alleged collusion in his torture in Pakistan has had his damages claim rejected by the High Court.
Rangzieb Ahmed, of Greater Manchester, was jailed in 2008 for terror offences and had alleged that he was beaten up during his interrogations in Pakistan before being deported to the UK to stand trial.
Now, it can be reported that his civil case has been dismissed as it "would undermine one of the essential foundations of the decision of the criminal court".
The Manchester Evening News reported that Ahmed, from Rochdale, who was jailed for life with a minimum of 10 years, was the first person to be convicted in the UK of directing terrorism. Manchester Crown Court heard he headed a three-man al-Qaida cell which was preparing to commit mass murder.
But he claimed he was tortured including having three of his fingernails pulled out by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence while in detention between 2006 and 2007.
Ahmed sued MI5, MI6, the Foreign Office, the Home Office, the Attorney General and Greater Manchester Police, claiming they were all complicit in his torture by supplying questions to Pakistani officers. But the six defendants applied to strike out Ahmed's claim, arguing that he was attempting to "re-litigate issues that have been decided" before his criminal trial.
Mr Justice Garnham dismissed his claim, saying "the effect of the civil claim, were it successful, would undermine one of the essential foundations of the decision of the criminal court" and that it was "a collateral attack on the decisions" of the trial judge and the Court of Appeal.
He also refused an application to rely on fresh evidence which Ahmed's lawyers argued demonstrated MI5 and MI6's "involvement in the mistreatment of detainees in foreign states".
