Fair Trials for Business Campaign

The Daily Telegraph has started a campaign to pressure the Government to change the Extradition treaty so British business people are tried in the UK for British offences.

PLEASE register TODAY!

"What we demand is an immediate halting of non-terrorist extraditions; the adoption of Article 7 of the European Convention on Extradition so the Government has proper power to veto questionable extradition applications and the reinstatement of the old Extradition Act until the US plays ball. Our campaign is already gathering pace and the Government must listen sooner rather than later. " The Daily Telegraph

To register your support, email city.feedback@telegraph.co.uk or write to Fair Trials For Business campaign, City Office, The Daily Telegraph, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DT

If anyone is at all unsure why they should sign up for this campaign, please read the message below from Jo Potter, wife of Nigel Potter who is currently serving a 3 year sentence in a US prison on charges of wire fraud.

 

 

Whilst we do not wish to comment on the innocence or guilt of the the three men, we confirm our belief that these men never should have been Extradited to face these charges.  We believe the agreed Statement of Facts with the US Government confirm this position.  It bears little or no correlation to the reasons given for the Extradition.  The allegation amounts to a breach of a UK Employment contract as was and remains an issue that should have and could have easily been dealt with in the UK, where the men would have been significantly better placed to defend themselves.

As a wider point of principle, now more than ever, the UK Government should be lobbied to amend the Extradition Act and US/UK treaty. 
 
A statutory principle of natural forum should be established without delay.  Similarly, there should be a mirrored evidential requirement between the US & UK. 
 

There is simply no sustainable argument against these principles that friendsextradited and other supporters have been repeadetly espousing - individuals and representatives from the business and legal communities are right to continue to press the Government until amendment is secured.

 

We would also recommend you read the following document which highlights the UK Government's position of the extradition arrangements with the US.

They said it!

 
Latest News !    
     
For all the latest press coverage, please visit the PRESS page
     
What's the cost of our 'special relationship'? - 30/11/07  
     
Judicial torture and the NatWest 3 - FT - 29/11/07  
     
NB: to view the above articles, ensure your internet browser allows pop-ups from friendsextradited.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

We believe that….
UK citizens accused of committing a crime in the UK against a UK victim should be tried in the UK
UK citizens have the right to a fair trial in front of a jury of their peers
It is an outrage that legislation supposedly enacted to deal with terrorists is being used to extradite bankers
Defendants should have the right to rebut any evidence presented against them
It is wrong to send UK citizens for trial abroad where they have next to no access to families, friends, lawyers or the documents needed to mount a proper defence
It is wrong that US citizens have greater protection against extradition than UK citizens
It is wrong that the UK government, on your behalf, has signed and enforced a treaty with the US but the US has so far failed to reciprocate.

We are campaigning for
An amendment to the 2003 Extradition Act to include the concept of natural forum (to ensure that UK citizens accused of UK crimes would be tried in the UK)

The Campaign
This campaign has been set up by friends and ex-colleagues of three UK citizens, David Bermingham, Giles Darby and Gary Mulgrew (BDM) who currently face extradition to the US for a crime allegedly committed in the UK against their then UK employer, NatWest Bank.
The campaign has already attracted support from people with no affiliation or indeed any personal knowledge of the three.
It has received cross party support with questions being asked in the House of Commons and a debate in the House of Lords. An Early Day Motion calling for the Orders of Council, under which the 2003 Extradition Act was placed on the statute, to be revoked due to non-ratification by the US and a natural forum amendment to the Act has been signed by 111 MP’s.
Media coverage of the case has been extensive, see Press page; highlighting the absurdity of the BDM case and the fundamental flaws of the 2003 Extradition Act.
Friends Extradited is not concerned with the alleged guilt or innocence of the three
Friends Extradited, like the three accused, wants a change to the law and for a case to be brought in the UK

Why?
The alleged victim is British.
The accused are British.
The vast majority of the alleged criminal activity took place in the UK.
The necessary evidence to mount a defence can be found within the UK.
The UK government entered into a treaty that subordinates the rights of its own citizens to those of another country, the US.  The United States has not even ratified the Treaty.
A natural forum amendment would mean that when the victim is British, the accused is British and the alleged crime alleged has been committed in the UK the subsequent case would be brought before a UK court.


PLEASE REGISTER
Signing up is as important as writing letters, so please send an e-mail with your details to friendsextradited@hotmail.com

Please note! This website is not intended as a forum for  anti-government  or anti-American rhetoric or views and as such we do not welcome any e-mails, donations or help from those promoting such views. The campaign is apolitical and is solely concerned with the extradition of BDM and amending the new extradition act. Thank you.