Article taken
from
Engage
The Observer reported yesterday on the findings of a standards investigation
into the handling of the arrest and detention by West Midlands police of
Rizwaan Sabir, a doctoral student at Nottingham University. The
investigation into police handling of the affair shows that evidence given by
the university’s terrorism expert, Dr Rod Thornton, was ‘made up’ by police
officers. Thornton has referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints
Commission.
From the Observer:
“A Muslim university student was held for seven days without charge as a
suspected terrorist after police "made up" evidence against him.
“Documents from the professional standards unit of West Midlands police reveal
that officers fabricated key elements of the case against former University of
Nottingham student, Rizwaan Sabir.
“The highly controversial case generated a debate over the extent of
Islamophobia within UK universities and also an international furore over
academic freedom led by renowned US scholar Noam Chomsky.
“Sabir was researching terrorist tactics for a master's at the University of
Nottingham in 2008 when he was detained under the Terrorism Act and accused by
police of downloading an al-Qaida training manual for terrorist purposes.
“The 27-year-old, however, had downloaded a manual from a US government website
for his research which could be bought at WH Smith, Waterstones and Amazon as
well as the university's own library. After seven days and six nights in police
custody, Sabir was released without charge or apology.
“Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act also reveal that the
arrests were mentioned in a report, cited and disseminated by the Home Office,
called Islamist Terrorist Plots in Great Britain: Uncovering the Global
Network.”
The university’s terrorism expert, Dr Rod Thornton complained to West Midlands
police about the handling of the case, as well as publishing an article
condemning the way that the university treated Sabir and handled his arrest.
The Observer states that an investigation by West Midlands police has now
concluded that “officers effectively invented what Thornton, the
university's sole terrorism expert, told them about the al-Qaida training manual
in a police interview.
“During the interview Thornton said that he merely told police that Sabir was
studying al-Qaida, but was never asked to discuss the manual. Thornton says that
officers invented claims that he had concerns over the manual which he says are
an apparent attempt to justify the arrest and police anti-terror operation.
“The findings of the force's standard's inquiry upheld Thornton's claim that
officers "made up what he said about the al-Qaida manual."
“It also states that the actual minutes of the Gold Group meeting of the
detectives assigned to the case "incorrectly recorded" their conversation with
Thornton.
“Thornton has now referred the police treatment of him to the IPCC. The
standards board, however, says that no officers will be investigated for
misconduct.”
“Thornton, a former counter terrorism officer in the British army who earlier
this year left his post at Nottingham University by mutual agreement, said: "The
police were totally unprofessional. After their mistakes they tried to cover
them up. I've seen some altered police notes, I've seen evidence made up. The
whole thing seems to be a complete tissue of lies, starting from the cover up of
their mistakes in the first place."
“Sabir, now a PhD student at The University of Bath, said: "I have known that
the police lied and deceived in order to justify my arrest and treatment and
this has now been proven.
"What should raise alarm bells is how and why the police think it is acceptable
to make up information to send innocent Muslims to prison as terrorists. The
onus is now on the IPCC to conduct a full and proper investigation into this
matter."
Sabir’s case is one of a number which illustrate the concerns raised by the
Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, David Anderson QC on the “excessive
enthusiasm”
with which some counter terrorism legislation has been applied. Other cases
include the Birmingham spy cameras, which were removed after outrage was
expressed by local residents and Birmingham MP, Roger Godsiff, on the violation
of residents’ right to privacy; and the concerns recorded in the IRR’s report on
the Prevent programme, Spooked!, on initiatives being funded to covertly gather
data on Muslim communities.
Sabir’s case brings under renewed scrutiny the calls made by government for
university staff to monitor and
‘keep an eye’ on Muslim students, with a view to referring ‘vulnerable
students’ to counter-terrorism police. Such action has been
widely criticised, and a recent
Home Affairs committee report into the Roots of Violent Radicalisation
concluded that “there is seldom concrete evidence to confirm that this
[universities] is where they were radicalised.”
