18/03/2009

Met Police Pay Terror Suspect £60,000 Damages

A man, who was arrested during an anti-terror raid, has been paid £60,000 damages by the Metropolitan Police.

Babar Ahmed, a 34-year-old IT support analyst, told the High Court he was subject to "serious gratuitous and unjustified violence" and "religious abuse" following his arrest in December 2003.

Mr Ahmed was never charged following the raids at his home in Tooting, south-west London.

Phillippa Kaufmann, Mr Ahmed's counsel, told the court her client was kicked and punched by officers, who forced him to the ground and ordered him to pray when he arrested him.

One officer asked him: "Where is your God now?"

The 34-year-old, who also claims he suffered bruising and injuries to his ear drums, wrists, forearms and feet, did not offer any resistance, Ms Kaufmann said.

She also said his treatment at the hands of Territorial Support Group officers was intended to humiliate him, debase him and make him fear for his life.

Mr Ahmed, who is in jail awaiting extradition to the US on separate charges, was in court today to hear lawyers for Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson agree to the payout.

He is in custody as he waits for a decision on whether his extradition would contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.

US investigators claim Mr Ahmad - who is a computer expert and has been imprisoned since 2004 - was behind a terrorist fundraising website and accuse him of raising money to support terrorism in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Previously Mr Ahmed had followed proceedings by Videolink from Long Lartin prison, Worcestershire.

(JM/KMcA)

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