14 November 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

US soldier jailed for Afghan murders

originally by: The Irish Times
published: 11th November 2011

A US army sergeant was convicted by court-martial yesterday of murdering unarmed civilians and cutting fingers from their corpses as ringleader of a rogue platoon in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The guilty verdict on all counts, returned after five hours of deliberations, carried an automatic life prison sentence, but the five-member jury panel then decided that Staff Sgt Calvin Gibbs (26) would be eligible for parole in eight-and-a-half years.

Pentagon officials have said the misconduct exposed by the case, which evolved from an inquiry of drug abuse within Gibbs’ Stryker Brigade infantry unit, damaged the image of the United States around the globe.

Photographs entered as evidence in the case showed Gibbs and other soldiers casually posing with bloodied Afghan corpses, drawing comparisons with the inflammatory Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq in 2004.

17 August 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Mao Hengfeng was delivered home from detention unconscious and in a wheelchair

provided by: Amnesty International
15th August 2011

The last time Mao Hengfeng was home from jail, the celebration was short-lived. She had roughly two days of freedom before being re-detained on vague charges. Two weeks ago, when Chinese police returned Mao Hengfeng home from her most recent term of “Re-Education through Labor” – it didn’t feel right to celebrate at all. She was home, but she was delivered unconscious in a wheelchair…severely beaten…clearly tortured… barely alive.

It gets worse. Shanghai authorities have been known to return detainees to their homes shortly before they die so that they can later wash their hands of all culpability. Because her release was completely unexpected, Mao’s husband and family could only expect the worst.

23 July 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

‘Forgotten’ terror suspect nears 5 years in prison

originally by: Your Local Guardian
13th July 2011

The family of Tooting’s ‘forgotten’ terror suspect, who remains in jail without trial, are preparing to mark the fifth anniversary of his imprisonment. Syed Talha Ahsan – a 31-year-old writer with Asperger syndrome – was arrested at his home in Franciscan Road, Tooting, on July 19, 2007, after US authorities requested his extradition.

Read about Syed here >

He is accused in the US of terrorism-related offences arising out of an alleged involvement with a series of websites between 1997 and 2004. Mr Ahsan’s case is linked to that of Babar Ahmad – but he has received much less media attention than Mr Ahmad, who was arrested in 2003 and is also still in prison.