Lotfi Raissi, an Algerian pilot wrongly accused of training some of the September 11 hijackers, should be allowed to claim compensation, the UK’s high court has ruled.

“I wept with relief when I heard the judgment,” Raissi said outside the court, following the decision. “I have always said I believed in British justice and I finally got it today.”

Raissi said his wrongful arrest had ruined his life and left him blacklisted as a pilot and unable to work…

His name had been on an FBI watchlist and he became the first person to be accused of participating in the attacks. After five months as a category A prisoner in Belmarsh high security prison, in south-east London, he was released when a judge ruled there was no evidence whatsoever to connect him with terrorism.

A video the FBI claimed showed Raissi with Hani Hanjour, one of the hijackers, was revealed in court to be footage of him with his cousin. The government refused to compensate him for wrongful arrest and imprisonment and claims the British authorities were acting properly on an American request.

Once again, freedom and justice seems to have little to do with policing. The political hacks in charge of the practice of law will never admit their mistakes. Or the harm they cause.




  1. JimD says:

    When will Bush/Cheney and the rest of the Neo-Cons of PNAC face a WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL FOR ATTACKING IRAQ ? ….

  2. Don says:

    How do you compensate someone for a ruined life. I hope he gets tens of millions.

    Don

  3. god says:

    It’s the disease of bureaucrats and bigots: “they all look alike to me”.

  4. GigG says:

    #2 So the state is going to have to pay “tens of millions” every time they arrest the wrong person for a crime. That’s going to make the world a safer place.

  5. smartalix says:

    4,

    No, but if fear of huge settlements helps curb a corrupt justice system’s asinine actions then the world will be a safer place.

  6. Shacklemore says:

    When will these terrorists learn not to mess with good old British justice?

  7. grog says:

    this just proves that england has fallen into the hands of liberals who seek to delude us all into thinking that trials and courts and whatnot do anything but protect criminals and terrorists.

    we all know that anyone suspected of anything terrorism-related is obviously guilty. i mean, due process is for sissies and criminals, real men just kill people, like dirty harry, or rambo, or jack bauer.

    screw the constitution, let’s get back to the fundamental law of the jungle and act like the apes that we are 100% NOT descended from. god wants us to!

    eye for an eye, man

    delete all courts and legislatures, they only hold back the president, who as commander-in-chief should be free do whatever he pleases. PERIOD.

    just throw everyone in jail or kill them. stop the nonsense.

    it’s for your own good, we promise. trust us.

  8. eyeofthetiger says:

    Mohamad Atta and the Venice Flying Circus (abridged)

    http://tinyurl.com/2anfre

  9. Balbas says:

    Let’s see…

    If you are caught, on camera, talking to the Pope, then…

    OMG! You might be trying to convert people to Jesus!

    You should be arrested quickly.

    This is how Bush thinks. If we call someone a terrorist and you happen to be nearby, this is proof you are a terrorist.

    McCarthy 101.

  10. zeph says:

    We have police to protect us from criminals. Now, we just need a group to protect us from police.


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