Give him justice

justice for a man who has been held in solitary confinement for more than three years.

Omar Deghayes, a former resident of Saltdean, Brighton, is being held against his will by the US Government in a prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

He has not been charged with any offence and has no idea how long he will be detained.

Prisoners claim they have been subjected to severe beatings, mental torture, humiliation and physical hardship at the hands of American guards.

Mr Deghayes, a 36-year-old law graduate, has gone on hunger strike to protest against conditions at the camp, which have been condemned by human rights groups.

His lawyer believes he could die within days.

On Thursday, The Argus published Mr Deghayes'

diary of the horrors of life in Guantanamo Bay.

In the account, declassified by the US Government last week, he said: "We are dying a slow death in here. You have to remember we have not been charged with any crime. This suffering is continuous."

Supporters have pleaded with the British Government to intervene on his behalf.

But although the Government worked to secure the release of nine British nationals it says it cannot help Libyan-born Mr Deghayes or four other British residents held in the camp because they are not British citizens.

If the US ever closes the camp, Mr Deghayes, whose leave to remain in the UK has lapsed since he was imprisoned in 2002, faces the prospect of being returned to Libya from which his family fled in 1987 and where he fears he would be killed.

In Brighton, Muslims, peace activists, city councillors and MPs have called for Mr Deghayes to either be brought to trial or released.

Today, The Argus joins the fight for justice for Omar. Leading city figures have already pledged their support Ken Bodfish, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "I welcome The Argus' campaign.

"We cannot have a view on Mr Deghayes' guilt or innocence until he has been through a proper judicial process.

"It is completely unacceptable how people are being held in Guantanamo Bay without such a process.

"The rule of law is critical to any civilised society. We have to combat terrorism but there has to be a minimum judicial process and the Geneva Convention must apply."

Celia Barlow, Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, said: "I wholeheartedly support The Argus campaign for Omar and call upon the American authorities to either allow him an open trial or be returned to his family.

"I urge members of the public to join in and send a message loud and clear that the treatment of Omar is simply unacceptable in the 21st Century."

Des Turner, Labour MP for Brighton Kemp Town, said: "A lot of campaigns by The Argus have made a difference. When you start a campaign you can never be certain it will succeed but you do it anyway.

"Guantanamo Bay is an intolerable affront to human rights and there can be no justification for America, an allegedly civilised country and leader of the Western world, to hold prisoners in these conditions."

David Lepper, Labour MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: "Wherever there is a British resident it's important the Government does all it can to protect the rights of that person.

"There are a large number of questions about the conditions in which he is being kept which make me uneasy."