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Mahdi Hashi is thought to be in prison in the African state of Djibouti
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While he was visiting Somalia, Theresa May deprived him of all his rights as a British national
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He was accused of extremist activities but his parents say this is wrong
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After landing at Heathrow, he was approached by MI5 who said his 'suspect status' would be cleared if he 'co-operated' with them
A British citizen whose family believe he is being tortured by American
secret agents has suddenly had all his rights as a UK national removed
by the Home Secretary.
Mahdi Hashi – who MI5 once tried to recruit as a spy – has been deprived
of his British passport, denied access to consular assistance and may
never return to Britain. He is thought to be being held in an African
prison.
Mohamed and Kaltun Hashi, the parents of the 23-year-old care worker
from Camden, North London, became concerned for his safety after being
tipped off that in the summer he had been taken to a prison in the
African state of Djibouti while visiting neighboring Somalia.
The information was passed on by another prisoner who said Mr Hashi
claimed he had been ‘mistreated’ and was being interrogated by men
working for America.
The Mail on Sunday has established that while Mr Hashi was out of
Britain, Home Secretary Theresa May used a little-known power – which
does not require a court order – to deprive him of all his rights as a
British national.
It can also be revealed that Mrs May has issued at least another nine
orders against British nationals. The majority have been served on
Muslim men, although the most public case is that of Russian spy Anna
Chapman, who had been married to a UK national.
Mr Hashi and his family moved to the UK from Somalia when he was five.
In late 2009 he returned to the capital Mogadishu where he had met his
wife, whom he married last year and with whom he has a child.
His parents found out about his detention only after the other prisoner
had been released and returned to Somalia where he made contact with Mr
Hashi’s relatives.
In a desperate attempt to find Mr Hashi, his mother-in-law travelled
from Mogadishu to Djibouti, but despite repeated requests prison staff
refused to say if he was there. The family has also approached the
Djibouti and US authorities but have been given no information about Mr
Hashi.
The deprivation of citizenship order signed by Mrs May says Mr Hashi has
lost his rights to live in the UK because of the ‘public good’.
A letter adds: ‘The Security Service assess that you have been involved
in Islamicist extremism and present a risk to the national security of
the United Kingdom due to your extremist activities.’
Mr Hashi has not been told of what he is accused, nor is it clear
whether he knows he is no longer a British citizen.
Human rights lawyers said he may be the victim of a new Government
policy in which Britain is denying British nationals citizenship when
they find themselves in serious trouble in foreign countries.
Geoffrey Robertson, QC, prominent human rights barrister, said:
‘The increase in orders under this Government of depriving British
people of their citizenship on non-conducive grounds is a matter of
concern because it is always very difficult to challenge fairly. It
means people are being deprived of their rights as a British citizen on
the say-so of security officials who can’t be challenged in court.’
Cageprisoners, the human rights group that campaigns against secret
detentions, believes Mr Hashi may be the victim of an American
rendition programme in which suspects are unlawfully taken to
third-party states where they are illegally detained and tortured.
The order issued by Mrs May can be used only against a UK national
who has dual citizenship. It is not clear if Mr Hashi can still claim
Somali nationality because he left Somalia for the UK when he was so
young.
Human rights group are concerned that he may now be held at Camp
Lemmonier in Djibouti where the Americans have built a large base to
combat terrorist groups across the continent. It is also where many of
the US drone attacks in Africa are coordinated.
But in a legal Catch 22 the US Ambassador in London has written to
the family, denying any involvement in Mr Hashi’s detention, stating
that if Mr Hashi is a British citizen then he must contact the Foreign
Office.
Last night his mother said: ‘We are very worried about him and just
want to know what has happened.’
The only justification Mrs May has given for removing Mr Hashi’s
citizenship is his alleged involvement in Islamic extremism. But his
family say he has never been interested in any kind of extremist
behavior.
In 2009 Mr Hashi complained to his MP Frank Dobson and the
Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the body which oversees MI5, that he was
being harassed by security officers because he had refused to work as a
spy in his North London Muslim community.
In April that year, when he was working as a care worker for a very
ill man in North London, Mr Hashi had gone to Gatwick to take a plane to
visit his sick grandmother in Djibouti.
But as he was checking in he was stopped by two plainclothes
officers. One identified himself as ‘Richard’ and said he was working
for MI5, Mr Hashi said in his complaint to the tribunal.
Mr Hashi said: ‘He warned me not to get on the flight. He said,
“Whatever happens to you outside the UK is not our responsibility.” I
was shocked.’
Mr Hashi continued with his flight but at Djibouti airport he was
stopped at passport control, held for 16 hours and then deported back to
the UK. He claims Djibouti security officers told him their orders came
from London.
After landing at Heathrow he was detained again and visited by
‘Richard’. ‘He said it was them who sent me back because I was a terror
suspect.’
Mr Hashi alleged the officer made it clear his ‘suspect’ status and
travel restrictions would be lifted only if he agreed to co-operate with
MI5. ‘He said, “By co-operating with us we know you’re not guilty”'
Mr Hashi refused and complained to the tribunal and Mr Dobson.
His lawyers, solicitor Saghir Hussain and barrister Faisal Saifee,
say Mr Hashi left for Somalia in December 2009 to visit his family and
intended to return to the UK in the near future to study engineering.
Mr Hussain said: ‘It seems his imprisonment in Djibouti is the
execution of a threat made in 2009 by MI5. What sort of country is this
when you are spirited away to another state and your own Government’s
response is to take away your citizenship?’
In a letter to the Home Office the Hashi family lawyers have asked
for information that will help them provide legal representation to Mr
Hashi during his detention.
The Home Office responded: ‘It has been the policy of successive
governments neither to confirm or deny speculation, allegations or
assertion in respect of intelligence matters.
This policy is maintained, and accordingly the Secretary of State
can neither confirm nor deny the allegations made on behalf of your
client.’
Source:
Daily Mail
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