[DU-WATCH] Barrister held over 'sanctions busting' in Iraq

Anas al-Tikriti, a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain,
said: "Unless he was sending depleted uranium or plutonim to Iraq
I can't see why they have arrested him now."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1093988,00.html
Barrister held over 'sanctions busting' in Iraq Audrey Gillan The
Guardian, November 27, 2003

A London barrister who is representing Tariq Aziz, Saddam Hussein's
former deputy prime minister, has been arrested by Customs and
Excise for allegedly promoting Iraqi sanctions busting.

The Guardian understands that Abdul-Haq al-Ani, who fled Saddam's
regime in 1986, was arrested under Section 3C of the Iraq and Kuwait
(United Nations Sanctions) Order 1990 which states that "no person
shall do any act calculated to promote the supply or delivery of
any goods to any person in Iraq or Kuwait or for the purpose of any
business carried on in Iraq". He was bailed to return for further
questioning in eight weeks.

A customs spokeswoman refused to confirm or deny the arrest or
comment on the case.

Mr Ani is accused of promoting sanctions busting, along with a South
African arrested in Pretoria last year. Mr Ani insists he has never
heard of the man.

The barrister, who is the first person in the UK arrested in
connection with the sanctions against Iraq, claims that his arrest
is "politically motivated". He is currently representing the family
of Mr Aziz who are pursuing a habeus corpus writ against coalition
forces in Iraq, demanding that he be produced before the courts.

Mr Aziz is being held by US forces with other senior regime figures
at Baghdad airport. He is being investigated for alleged war crimes,
but has had no access to his lawyer.

Mr Ani has been a prominent campaigner against the war and is
pursuing a case against the government for engaging in an illegal
war in Iraq.

Last Friday he was part of a group that handed a petition to Scotland
Yard asking the police to investigate war crimes allegedly committed
by the prime minister and members of the cabinet.

He presented himself to the customs investigation headquarters in
central London on Tuesday after being told by friends that their
houses had been searched and their locks changed. Notes had been
left saying new keys could be obtained from customs.

"Somebody broke into my house and my computer and fax machine
disappeared," one friend said. "I realised that some papers had
been left on my chair saying they were after invoices and bank
accounts relating to Dr Abdul Haq al-Ani regarding the exports of
assigned materials to Iraq. Another friend had his office broken
into and they took his computer as well."

Mr Ani edited the Arab Review magazine between 1992 and 1996, which
was vocal in its opposition of sanctions."I have always been against
sanctions on a matter of principle and international law but I have
never been involved in activities that were in contravention of
sanctions," he said, adding: "It is political intimidation. They
ransacked my friend's house. What were they searching for, a nuclear
weapon?

These are people's civil liberties being trampled on here. No one
has ever been prosecuted for this before so why are they bringing
me in now?"

The arrest was condemned by anti-war campaigners and civil liberties
groups. The Labour MP Tam Dalyell said he would be demanding a full
explanation in parliament.

"Whatever he might or might not have done or whatever he might have
been party to, Mr Aziz deserves a trial.

Dr al-Ani's arrest requires an explanation in parliament and that
I shall be asking for," he said.

Mr Ani, who was called to the bar in 1996, has been lecturing across
the country speaking out against the war. He opposed Saddam's regime
while also vociferously campaigning against sanctions.

He is currently trying to use the International Criminal Court Act
2001 to sue Mr Blair and cabinet members, claiming they have committed
war crimes in Iraq. Under the act, the attorney general grants the
grounds for a case but Mr Ani argues that since the attorney general
is also a member of the government he cannot sit in judgment on
himself. He is seeking a judicial review of the case in the Lords.

Anas al-Tikriti, a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain,
said: "Unless he was sending depleted uranium or plutonium to Iraq
I can't see why they have arrested him now."

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