Blunkett's extradition comments give hope to Babar Ahmad family (From Your Local Guardian)

Blunkett's extradition comments give hope to Babar Ahmad family

10:00am Wednesday 8th September 2010 in

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David Blunkett has admitted there may have been flaws in the extradition treaty responsible for a Tooting terror suspect’s imprisonment without trial.

In an interview for a BBC Radio 4 show, The Report, the former home secretary said there was a “dilemma” when it came to the case of Babar Ahmad.

He said: “If I’m being honest about looking at something seven years on and saying it wasn’t perfect - of course we can look back and say could we have done better.”

Mr Blunkett helped draft plans to allow the Americans to extradite and prosecute any British person accused of a crime.

Mr Ahmad was one of the first people they demanded, but he has remained in prison for the last six years fighting extradition.

The Americans claim he was involved in terrorist websites - although the alleged crime only has a slight connection to the USA.

Mr Ahmad has never been prosecuted in the UK, as there has never been enough evidence that he committed a crime.

Mr Blunkett added: “If you’re not careful, you have people imprisoned and therefore punished without trial, as opposed to the risk of speedy extradition and whether they will receive a fair trial.”

Mr Ahmad’s father, Ashfaq, said: “This is a significant revelation which shows that even David Blunkett, the architect of this controversial extradition treaty, now believes that the government should talk to the Americans, and to resolve Babar's case by putting him on trial in the UK.”