'Farce' claim over Guantanamo man

Binyam Mohamed's lawyers say he is to be charged again

The US government has been accused of "farce" by the lawyer of the last UK resident held at Guantanamo Bay.

Clive Stafford Smith says all charges have been dropped against Binyam Mohamed, who was accused of terrorism.

However, he says Mr Mohamed, 30, who lived in west London, is set to be charged again within the next month, with new military prosecutors involved.

A US military spokesman said the case is to be reviewed by new trial teams which will recommend what to do next.

Mr Mohamed has said he admitted to planning a terror attack only after being tortured, which the US denies.

'Total despair'

Mr Stafford Smith, director of legal charity Reprieve, said: "Far from being a victory for Mr Mohamed in his long-running struggle for justice, this is more of the same farce that is Guantanamo.

"The military has informed us that they plan to charge him again within a month, after the election."

The lawyer said Mr Mohamed was in solitary confinement at Guantanamo in "total despair" and contemplating suicide.

Reprieve says the charges have been dropped because military prosecutor Lt Col Darrel Vandeveld - who resigned last month - complained about evidence favourable to Mr Mohamed being suppressed.

The Pentagon argues that intervention by new military prosecutors has addressed the concerns raised by Lt Col Vandeveld, the charity adds.

US military spokesman Joseph DellaVedova said the Guantanamo Bay chief prosecutor has appointed new trial teams - to review evidence, co-ordinate with intelligence agencies and recommend what to do next.

Government request

Mr Mohamed has been involved in a legal battle to try to get the British government to release documents which he believes will show he was tortured prior to being held at the US military base in Cuba.

The government requested in August 2007 that Ethiopian-born Mr Mohamed be returned to the UK.

The US alleges that Mr Mohamed travelled to Afghanistan in May 2001 and trained at an al-Qaeda camp.

It says he then accepted instructions from al-Qaeda leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to conduct terror operations in the US.

Mr Mohamed, who denies involvement in terrorism, was detained in April 2002 as he tried to return to the UK from Pakistan.

He came to the UK as an asylum seeker in 1994 and his asylum claim was never finally determined but he was given leave to remain.

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