LONDON (AP)-[off the wire, no link yet]-A man facing terrorist charges in the U.K. Wednesday won a court hearing for his challenge against strip searches and other security measures imposed while he awaits trial.
Mohammed Bhatti is one of eight men charged in August with conspiring to commit murder and cause chaos with radioactive materials, toxic gases, chemicals or explosives.
Another of the eight, Dhiran Barot, is accused of possessing reconnaissance plans for the New York Stock Exchange, the International Monetary Fund in Washington, the Citigroup building in New York and the Prudential building in New Jersey.
Bhatti, who denies the charges against him, claims his human rights are being breached by an excessive number of strip searches. A medical report presented in court said Bhatti is suffering from depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive symptoms because of the frequent searches.
Justice John Mitting, who heard the application, said the case raised important questions:
- Whether it was legitimate to hold unconvicted "high risk" prisoners for long periods without the same procedural safeguards granted to convicts
- Whether regular strip searching amounted to inhuman and degrading treatment, contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights.
"There is a clear conflict between the need of the state on behalf of its citizens to protect them from grave harm and Mr. Bhatti's own right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment," Mitting said. |
