Lazy Lob
11-08-2006, 07:21 AM
The Scotsman Wed 8 Nov 2006
'I won't testify against my captors unless it helps them'
RUSSELL JACKSON
NORMAN Kember, the British peace activist taken hostage in Iraq last year, does not want to testify against his captors, it emerged last night.
He was seized in November 2005 and held in Baghdad for four months by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. He was freed in March in a multinational military operation involving the SAS.
Click to learn more...
Channel 4 News reported last night that Iraqi police had made arrests about a month ago over the kidnapping of Mr Kember, 74.
The programme said the men had been in custody for a month and Scotland Yard approached Mr Kember to give evidence at their trial. But the Briton said he would have a moral dilemma testifying against his kidnappers because of his strong opposition to the death sentence.
He told Channel 4: "I think that some of them had reasons for regarding us as their enemies. I feel that forgiveness is the most positive thing that we can do in this situation. I would rather they went free than they had a long prison sentence."
Mr Kember said he would consider testifying only if he believed it might mean further clemency for the accused.
He said he believed in restorative justice.
"I think that we in the West are implicated in the way that that problem arose," he said.
Mr Kember was freed with Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden. He said his fellow captives had also been approached to testify.
Scotland Yard told Mr Kember those accused were in custody and they were hoping to take them to trial next year.
Related topic
* Kidnappings in Iraq
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1204
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1652522006
Last updated: 08-Nov-06 01:52 GMT
'I won't testify against my captors unless it helps them'
RUSSELL JACKSON
NORMAN Kember, the British peace activist taken hostage in Iraq last year, does not want to testify against his captors, it emerged last night.
He was seized in November 2005 and held in Baghdad for four months by the Swords of Righteousness Brigade. He was freed in March in a multinational military operation involving the SAS.
Click to learn more...
Channel 4 News reported last night that Iraqi police had made arrests about a month ago over the kidnapping of Mr Kember, 74.
The programme said the men had been in custody for a month and Scotland Yard approached Mr Kember to give evidence at their trial. But the Briton said he would have a moral dilemma testifying against his kidnappers because of his strong opposition to the death sentence.
He told Channel 4: "I think that some of them had reasons for regarding us as their enemies. I feel that forgiveness is the most positive thing that we can do in this situation. I would rather they went free than they had a long prison sentence."
Mr Kember said he would consider testifying only if he believed it might mean further clemency for the accused.
He said he believed in restorative justice.
"I think that we in the West are implicated in the way that that problem arose," he said.
Mr Kember was freed with Canadians James Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden. He said his fellow captives had also been approached to testify.
Scotland Yard told Mr Kember those accused were in custody and they were hoping to take them to trial next year.
Related topic
* Kidnappings in Iraq
http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1204
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1652522006
Last updated: 08-Nov-06 01:52 GMT