Court to rule on UK residents held in Guantanamo Bay

LONDON, Oct 12: Relatives of British residents still held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay camp will learn today whether their latest legal moves to force the UK Foreign Secretary to seek their release have been successful.

They have challenged the High Court's refusal earlier this year to condemn the Foreign Office for not putting pressure on the Unites States for their release.

Their moves focuses on alleged discrimination, breach of the men's human rights and legal errors.

The three men at the centre of the case are long-term residents of Britain, but not actual citizens - Iraqi Bisher al-Rawi, 37, his Jordanian business partner Jamil el-Banna, a refugee, and Omar Deghayes, who was detained in Pakistan.

It is argued that Home Office refusal to request release of all the men is ''legally unsustainable'' and that as British residents they had a legitimate expectation that a request to the Americans would be made.

When the appeal was heard earlier this year, top human rights barrister Rabinder Singh claimed that the stance taken by the Home Office was ''untenable.'' The lawyer argued the repeated refusal of the Home Office to act as requested was unlawful on the basis of discrimination, breach of human rights, errors in the decision-making process, failure to take into account relevant factors and, bearing in mind the claims relating to torture of Guantanamo Bay detainees, irrationality.

REUTERS