Straw sued over rendition case

Jack Straw has said he cannot comment on the claims by Abdel Hakim Belhadj that the MP was involved in his rendition.

Cori Crider, the legal director of Reprieve, said the public had the right to know how and why the government became complicit in the rendition of families, including children and a pregnant women, to Libya.

The lawyers of Abdel Hakim Belhadj have said the reason he is taking legal action against former foreign Secretary Jack Straw is to seek an apology for what took place and "for the truth to be known."

Sapna Malik, parter at Leigh Day & Co said:

The lawyers representing Libyan military commander Abdel Hakim Belhadj say they have sent Labour MP Jack Straw a letter to ask him to respond to reports that he personally signed documents that allowed Belhadj to be sent back to Libya in 2004.

Straw is facing similar legal action from fellow Libyan and Gaddafi opponent Sami Al Saadi who was also sent back into the hands of the regime in 2004.

Abdel Hakim Belhadj, a Libyan military commander who is now the head of the Tripoli Military Council, is taking a civil action against former foreign secretary Jack Straw to examine his exact role in his rendition to Libya in 2004.

He says he was imprisoned and tortured when he was sent back to the country ruled by the Gaddafi regime. He is making a claim against Straw for damages from the trauma involved.

Jack Straw is facing legal action from a former Libyan military commander who claims he was tortured after being sent back to Libya in 2004.

Abdel Hakim Belhadj says he had been living in exile in China before being detained with his wife while en route to the UK where they were trying to seek asylum.

He is taking a civil action against Straw personally following allegations that the former foreign secretary personally signed off the rendition.