The London chef who was forsaken for five years in Guantanamo

[struggle4progress]

From The Times
June 16, 2007

Like Robert the Bruce in his cell, Ahmed Errachidi drew inspiration from a creature’s struggle as he waited for the allegations against him to crumble

Sean O’Neill

~snip~ It is just six weeks since Mr Errachidi, 41, a chef who worked in London hotels, restaurants and gastro-pubs for 16 years, was released from the camp, where he was interned without charge or trial, at the United States naval base in Cuba.

He was freed after the sole allegation against him – that he had been a senior figure at an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in July 2001 – fell apart. The claim came from an unidentified source and was proved false by lawyers from the London-based charity Reprieve.

According to payslips, witness statements and bank records, Mr Errachidi was a long way from Afghanistan during July 2001 – working in the kitchens of the Westbury Hotel, Mayfair. The US military eventually declared Mr Errachidi “approved to leave Guantanamo” – as close as it comes to proclaiming him innocent.

Even though the evidence that could have freed him years ago lay in Britain, and that British officials were aware of its existence, Whitehall had rejected appeals to help him. ~snip~

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1940199.ece