Press Releases from 2009

SACC has published a new briefing on the operation in Scotland of the Government's Prevent programme for tackling "violent extremism."

Mohammed Atif Siddique, a young Scot controversially convicted of terrorism will today, Tuesday 30 June, be beginning his appeal at Scotland's High Court of Judiciary in Edinburgh.

The fight against racism in Scotland is being undermined and discredited by a controversial counter-terrorism unit operating within the Scottish Government's Equalities Unit

SACC welcomes news that CACI's role is to be cut back, but re-affirms its demand for the contract with CACI to be cancelled.

SACC demands that Scottish ministers to use the powers available to them under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act to stop police interference in political activities.

Journalist Kirsty Wark, TV presenter Rory Bremner, and radio presenter Grant Stott have highlighted the importance of the Scottish census ahead of its rehearsal in west Edinburgh, Lewis and Harris later this month. But a US court ruling against a company contracted to run the census has left the celebs on shaky ground.

With just 12 days to go until the official rehearsal for the next Scottish Census, the exercise looks certain to be engulfed in controversy. Human rights campaigners are asking people to refuse to take part in the rehearsal in protest at the involvement of a controversial defence company that supplied interrogators to Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The Scottish convoy taking medical aid to Gaza entered the besieged territory via the Rafah crossing yesterday afternoon with four 7.5 ton trucks, four transit vans, an ambulance and a jeep.

The wife of a jailed Indian human rights activist is visiting Scotland as part of a UK speaking tour that she hopes will increase international pressure for his release.

SACC says "Welcome Home" to Binyam Mohamed, who arrived at Northolt military base, UK this afternoon after more than four years internment at Guantanamo Bay.

Wednesday's decision by the Law Lords to allow the deportation of Abu Qatada to Jordan, where he faces "trial" on charges based on evidence obtained under torture, has been hailed as a "landmark ruling against terrorism suspects." In fact it is a landmark ruling against human rights.

A US Federal Appeals Court was yesterday asked to consider whether torture victims abused in Abu Ghraib prison can bring legal proceedings against defence contractor CACI International Inc. The news follows the announcement by the Scottish Government last month that it has re-structured the contract for the next Scottish Census to prevent CACI - whose UK subsidiary is contracted to run the census - from obtaining access to personal data about Sottish households.

SACC gives a cautious welcome to orders signed by President Obama today to close Guantanamo Bay but sats Obama could do better

SACC says that says that nothing less than a move to immediately charge the Guantanamo prisoners or release them will rescue President-elect Barack Obama from confusion and illegality.

Sunday 11 January was the seventh anniversary of the rendition of the first prisoners to Guantánamo Bay. SACC says: "It's time for Guantánamo Bay and the rest of George Bush's torture archipelago to be shut down. Britain should be demanding the immediate return of all the British residents still held there.""