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| Moazzam Begg’s financial sanctions lifted by UK Treasury | Moazzam Begg’s financial sanctions lifted by UK Treasury |
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| The Treasury has lifted the financial sanctions on the former Guantánamo inmate Moazzam Begg two weeks after he walked free from Belmarsh prison when the terror case against him collapsed. | The Treasury has lifted the financial sanctions on the former Guantánamo inmate Moazzam Begg two weeks after he walked free from Belmarsh prison when the terror case against him collapsed. |
| Begg had been a designated person under terrorist asset-freezing laws since he was arrested in February on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to Syria. Unable to open bank accounts, he had told the Guardian that even on his release he “could not buy his kids presents for Eid or have too many lunches brought for him by friends”. | Begg had been a designated person under terrorist asset-freezing laws since he was arrested in February on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to Syria. Unable to open bank accounts, he had told the Guardian that even on his release he “could not buy his kids presents for Eid or have too many lunches brought for him by friends”. |
| The case against Begg collapsed after MI5 belatedly gave police and prosecutors a series of documents that detailed the agency’s extensive contacts with him before and after his trips to Syria. | The case against Begg collapsed after MI5 belatedly gave police and prosecutors a series of documents that detailed the agency’s extensive contacts with him before and after his trips to Syria. |
| A Treasury spokesman pointed out that all bodies had to “remove all restrictions imposed by the asset freeze for accounts or other funds associated with (Begg)” with immediate effect. | A Treasury spokesman pointed out that all bodies had to “remove all restrictions imposed by the asset freeze for accounts or other funds associated with (Begg)” with immediate effect. |
| However he said that the difficulties experienced by Cage, the London-based pressure group which employed Begg as its director of outreach, were the result of “commercial decisions by the banks they had approached”. | However he said that the difficulties experienced by Cage, the London-based pressure group which employed Begg as its director of outreach, were the result of “commercial decisions by the banks they had approached”. |
| Cage, which campaigns on behalf of terror suspects allegedly denied legal rights, has lodged a formal complaint to the financial ombudsman after it was forced to the brink of closure when its bank accounts were shut down. | |
| The Treasury said that its restrictions involving Begg “did not relate to [Cage]”. However the pressure group has been affected because its banks had become untouchable after their risk ratings soared in the wake of Begg’s detention. Earlier this year Lord Deighton, the commercial secretary to the Treasury, told the parliamentary chair of the joint committee on human rights that he was “sorry to hear about Cage’s difficulties with their banks”. However the group is still unable to reopen its accounts and its charitable backers remain under surveillance by the charity commission. | The Treasury said that its restrictions involving Begg “did not relate to [Cage]”. However the pressure group has been affected because its banks had become untouchable after their risk ratings soared in the wake of Begg’s detention. Earlier this year Lord Deighton, the commercial secretary to the Treasury, told the parliamentary chair of the joint committee on human rights that he was “sorry to hear about Cage’s difficulties with their banks”. However the group is still unable to reopen its accounts and its charitable backers remain under surveillance by the charity commission. |
| A spokesman for Cage said it would be considering the effect of the Treasury’s decision, adding: “Moazzam Begg has been the subject of an arbitrary system that seeks to dismantle not only his ability to live, but also that of his family. The fact that there was never any case to answer in the first place, exposes such decisions as cruel, vindictive and politically motivated.” | A spokesman for Cage said it would be considering the effect of the Treasury’s decision, adding: “Moazzam Begg has been the subject of an arbitrary system that seeks to dismantle not only his ability to live, but also that of his family. The fact that there was never any case to answer in the first place, exposes such decisions as cruel, vindictive and politically motivated.” |