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We are a lazy, selfish people. We get up, go to school/uni/work, come home, kick back and relax. And do the same thing the next day. We moan a bit in between about how tough it all is. I speak of myself foremost. Let's imagine that tomorrow morning our door is kicked in, we are dragged out in front of our loved ones and taken to prison. We are then held for, let's say 7 years, without any trial or evidence provided against us. They also say they wanna send us abroad to face a court which is alien to us and there are no guarantees for our safety. That uncertainty would not be a nice feeling. Especially as day after day you would be wondering about your fate. Then imagine how your family would feel. Finally, think about how demoralising it would be when you are given hope that a mere 100,000 signatures from your fellow citizens will give you hope of a fair trial at home but you see that with only a week left you are only three quarters of the way there. With a total population of around 61million, you would think 100,000 would be easy.

Babar Ahmad is a 37 year old British Muslim and the longest detained-without-charge British detainee held as part of the global ‘war on terror’. In December 2003 Babar was arrested at his London home under anti-terror legislation. By the time he reached the police station Babar had sustained at least 73 forensically recorded injuries, including bleeding in his ears and urine. Six days later he was released without charge.

In August 2004 Babar was re-arrested in London and taken to prison pursuant to an extradition request from the US under the controversial, no-evidence-required, Extradition Act 2003. The US has alleged that in the 1990s Babar was a supporter of “terrorism”. Babar denies any involvement in terrorism. He has now been in prison for six years even though he has not been charged in the UK.

For weeks an e-petition has been circulating around the UK to get 100,000 signatures to get his case eligible for parliamentary debate. By getting these signatures, MPs will then be obliged to debate whether or not this person should be held trial in the UK or extradited to the US.

With only 8 days left until the deadline for the required 100,000 signatures, we only have 72,000 - this is a damning reflection of the state of our community and the world we live in today. All we are asking that this man is brought in front of court here. It has nearly 7 years and still he is being held in prison with no evidence being produced against him or any trial being held.

All we ask is that you sign this petition and ask those around you to sign it so that he can be put in front of a judge. After all, that is the democracy that we all go on about.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/885

The petition closes on 10 November 2011.