The news that one British resident, Bisher al-Rawi, will shortly be released from Guantanamo, as soon "as practical arrangements have been made" as Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett announced, is great news (The Argus, March 30).

He has lost years of his life and must have been through some terrible experiences but the fact the injustice of indefinite detention is over must be very welcome.

But I heard about this release with mixed emotions: relief for Bisher al-Rawi, a family man from New Malden, and disappointment that Omar Deghayes was not also being set free.

A recent Channel Four News report cited the campaign by human rights campaigners and a local MP as being the reason for Mr al-Rawi's release.

As readers of this paper will know, people in Brighton and Hove have been working hard for the return of Omar Deghayes.

In fact, London anti- Guantanamo activists and even Amnesty International have said our campaign has been an inspiration to them.

So why is Omar still in Guantanamo? If Mrs Beckett can agree to the release of one British resident from Guantanamo's legal vortex, why not another?

While it would be good to know why she can act for a British resident now but could do nothing for so long, this matters much less than ensuring we do not let an opportunity pass us by.

Now is the time to do whatever we can to secure Omar's release, an end to his torture and the pain felt by his family.

I urge all Brighton's elected representatives, MPs and councillors to do whatever they can to press for Omar's immediate release.

  • Louise Purbrick, Luther Street, Brighton