Craig, I've just cross-posted to those two titans of the British left blogging world Lenin's Tomb & Socialist Unity. Good luck. Off to write my own email now.

Text of my email

"To members of the UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights

I urge you to hear the evidence of Craig Murray, former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, at your next hearing.

Craig Murray's evidence, which is obviously material to your present inquiry, is all detailed in his book "Murder in Samarkand", which I have read and can be bought from any good bookshop across the country. The documentary evidence underpinning the story told in the book is downloadble from numerous websites. It would be absurd for this publicly available evidence to be denied a hearing in front of a parliamentary committee. If the Committee does not stand up for itself against Government pressure on this matter, then it and its members' reputations will be irreparably damaged."

sent

"Madam/Sir

I really think you should hear what Craig Murray has to say about the use of information gained with torture.

John"

Of course they might say since Craig's information is already all over the internet and available in print they don't actually need to talk to him.

I sent an email to JCHR. I got an "Out of Office AutoReply".

Don't worry about the autoreply - they are being received and circulated.

Sent mine...edited out all the swear words !
Maybe I should have left them ?

Done - good luck.

Sent - hope this helps.

Testing.

Just posted a link to this post on Twitter.

We are appalled by the evidence emerging
showing the British government in collusion
with CIA-lead torture in Uzbekistan.

Any such suspicion needs to be cleared unambiguously.

This matter needs your urgent and immediate attention.
Craig Murray's testimony is shocking, you should invite him to testify.

We expect you as leading members of Her Majesty's Parliament
investigate fully and put a stop to the practice without delay.

The world's eyes are fixed on your action right now.

My e-mail...

To the UK Parliament Joint Committee on Human Rights,

I would like to inform you that not to accept Craig Murray's evidence on the alleged UK government's policy of using intelligence from torture hearing would show that the UK parliament joint committee on human rights final judgment on this will not be considered to be a balanced judgment by many.

I would also like to point out that by not receiving all revelant evidence for consideration would lay the UK parliament joint committee on human rights open to accusations of complicity in the use of torture if the final report were to clear the UK government of using intelligence from torture having not heard all the evidence that was available to it.

Your`s sincerely,
George Dutton.

Ok done.

Email sent and copied to you

Hi Craig,

I have emailed the jchr and put up a post on my blog and a comment on RickB's Ten Percent blog.

And at risk of sounding picky you have a couple of typo's in your fourth 'key point'. You know the tame mainstream media hacks will only focus on such things to avoid dealing with the real content of what you have to say.

And as another aside to everyone else. I would recommend avoiding using the .ru email address on the 'Invite Craig to Speak' page. I tried using that and I have had a mass of Russian spam on my blog ever since. It might be a coincidence, hard to tell.

So done:

"I would like to urge the Honourable members of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights to accept evidence from Craig Murray, the former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, on the matter of government knowledge of (and potential complicity in) rendition and torture of prisoners, and in usage of intelligence so obtained.

"For public trust in the processes of government and parliament to be maintained, there can be no question of expert evidence on so important a matter being ignored or suppressed; it is vital that all available data be examined and considered by your committee, with full public disclosure. Any pressure from the government to prevent this, even where it misrepresents its own potential embarrassment as a threat to national security, must be resisted."

I'm having trouble sending the email and I use Yahoo. Anyone else with a similar problem?

It was a cut and paste job so I haven't made a typo.

I've now put a post on my blog in the hope that my readers have more success. If not I shall use another email.

Dear Mr Murray,

I am, very much, in support of your campaign to make this information public and will alert others to said campaign, but am wondering if the issues you have outlined above are not a gross breach of the OSA; one recalls what happened in the Seventies concerning similar breaches (I believe that Geoffrey Robinson Q.C. represented several of those accused) and the way in which such information was suppressed further under the ubiquitous and all-encompassing heading of 'National Security'.
Yours faithfully
Mara MacSeoinin

emailed

thanks and good luck

Emailed and bcced you. I really hope it helps.

Email - Done
Tweet - Done

Good Luck!

done, bcc-d you in, and the very best of luck with it

Thanks everyone. Mara, I have been deliberately breaching the Official Secrets Act for the past five years, but part of the government's stategy to bury this information and to avoid publicity has been not to prosecute me.

Hmm, it seems the Chair, Andrew Dismore MP, of this Committee you want to appear before has a voting record that I don't find too impressive. All courtesy of They Work For You.com:

# Voted very strongly against a transparent Parliament.
# Voted strongly for introducing a smoking ban.
# Voted strongly for introducing ID cards.
# Voted moderately for introducing foundation hospitals.
# Voted moderately for introducing student top-up fees.
# Voted strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws.
# Voted very strongly for the Iraq war.
# Voted very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war.

Voting against transparency and investigations isn't the action of someone who wants to get to the truth. Or at least not to me.

He is also involved with a couple of pro-Israel organisations.

Emailed and cc'd. All the best.

Ambassador Murray's Evidence on information obtained under torture.

There is no need for me to recap on Ambassador Murray's qualifications to present evidence on this matter. It is well known to you already.

Any opinions from the Committee without hearing his evidence will clearly be defective and not worth the paper ithey are written on.

It is time to stand for truth and put aside the political gloss that has bedevilled this subject for years. There is no forgiveness without acceptance and remorse.

Email sent with CC.

Dear Committee members,

I have read Craig Murray's autobiographical histories and find them compelling evidence of Britain's complicity in the use of torture. I request that you summon him to give an account of his evidence in front of your committee.

Yours,

Paul Birchenough

Request for Mr Murray's evidence to be seen and heard sent to JCHR committee (Chairman Andrew Dismore - Labour Friend of Israel and European Friend of Israel)

Ref. Israel, the British Embassy in Tel Aviv will now not become tenant of Uzbeki emigre Leviev.

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=30760

Ref Uzbeki emigres, what news of Alisher Usmanov? Once all over the rags, now nothing.

Done, whether they take notice is another question, this Government is heavily back pedalling and is prepared to lie for their salvation, more than once.

The jhrc does not realise that they will be negating the standing of human rights worldwide, not just here in the UK, it will taint each and every body that is campaingning for the abolition of torture and murder.

I am writing to you as I believe that you will be discussing at your meeting on March 10th, whether or not to hear the evidence from Craig Murray, former British Ambassador in Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2004.

His evidence was described by the European Council's Rapporteur, Senator Dick Marty, as "Compelling and valuable", when he appeared in person as a witness before the European Parliament and Europeans Council's enquiries into extraordinary rendition.

Your committee has a responsibility to hear Craig Murray's, "compelling and valuable"evidence.

The pursuit and practice of Justice and Transparency are
necessary and vital in a healthy democracy.

I expect you agree.

Please listen to what Craig Murray has to say.

Denise Morton

Apologies for the copy and paste,in a rush.

All the best Craig.

Denise Morton

Email duly sent. Good luck.

I've circulated your email to the Brent Stop the War list - we were all most impressed by your evidence when you spoke at our AGM two years ago. I've also forwarded it to the Stop the War Coalition and Lenin's Tomb and sent the following to the jchr:
I am contacting you to urge you to agree to hearing evidence from Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan. I have heard Mr. Murray speak more than once and have been very impressed by his seriousness and the depth of his knowledge. He risked and indeed lost his career in order to expose human rights abuses and campaign for justice.

He appeared as a witness in person before both the European Parliament and European Council's enquiries into extraordinary rendition. His evidence was described by the European Council's Rapporteur, Senator Dick Marty, as "Compelling and valuable". I believe his evidence would be equally compelling and valuable to your committee. Please hear him.
I'll contact more people later when I have more time. Failing to listen to you owuld be outrageous and further strong evidence of our government's collusion in torture.

I've circulated your email to the Brent Stop the War list - we were all most impressed by your evidence when you spoke at our AGM two years ago. I've also forwarded it to the Stop the War Coalition and Lenin's Tomb and sent the following to the jchr:
I am contacting you to urge you to agree to hearing evidence from Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan. I have heard Mr. Murray speak more than once and have been very impressed by his seriousness and the depth of his knowledge. He risked and indeed lost his career in order to expose human rights abuses and campaign for justice.

He appeared as a witness in person before both the European Parliament and European Council's enquiries into extraordinary rendition. His evidence was described by the European Council's Rapporteur, Senator Dick Marty, as "Compelling and valuable". I believe his evidence would be equally compelling and valuable to your committee. Please hear him.

I'll contact more people later when I have more time. Failing to listen to you owuld be outrageous and further strong evidence of our government's collusion in torture.

Have done an email also a blog post and bcc you in

Good Luck This government stinks

Craig.

Letter composed and sent. cc'ed to the 'ru' email mentioned on you blog.

Asked for help on your behalf on my blog too.

I really hope it helps. The No. of Signatures for the Blair War Crimes Foundation (http://blairfoundation.wordpress.com/signatories/) has SHAMEFULLY only 2083 signatures as of today :(

Still. Even if we are destined to lose, we MUST fight on until the end - for it's the moral thing to do.

I applaud all the people here who are taking a stand.

"Still. Even if we are destined to lose, we MUST fight on until the end"

The ones in black are called parliamentary committees...

http://tinyurl.com/d3p3d9

Nice clip Georde, but I think we are actually destined to win :)

(George - sorry)

Whoops... I sent a nice little email, but I forgot to put a subject! DOH!! I hope they still read it :S

Sent. Basically same content of those above. Hope they listen...would be a fine thing.

Maybe one day we will see a true democracy; and a free, and just society at that. Most likely in film.

Penned a little something and sent. I will also post it over at the Media Lens forums, which I expect will generate further emails to the JCHR.

“Maybe one day we will see a true democracy; and a free, and just society at that.”

My good and wise friend Jose says from his Canary Islands lookout in a recent comment on Merkin’s blog: “I no longer sustain the idea that Democracy exists. It's only in the books, in the Media, but not a tinge in the hearts of our politicians. On reflection it may exist in our homes, not all of them I'd add.”

I think he has a point.

Having just read up a little on the JCHR it doesnt seem they have any power to do anything other than write a report to the House? Which they can then ignore anyway no matter what it says? Or am I missing something?

Shouldnt you be sending your evidence to the CPS instead?

>Good Luck This government stinks

Lest we forget, the reason Labour - or "New" Labour, or whatever you want to call it - acquired power was because of how bad the Tories were.

This country is in a crisis now.

Eighteen years of Tory rule transformed Britain, and the "opposition". Also, Blair wouldn't have got elected had he been a genuine "socialist".

If the British keep on refusing to assert themselves, there's no hope. Once the Tories get back in, we'll see plenty more homelessness, poverty, and crime. The Tories are itching to make life extremely hard for the least protected members of society. Such policies have an impact on all of us. But the British, like before, will naively believe they'll be better off by this "get tough" approach, and lap it up. That's how the government distracts everyone - by pinning the blame on others!

For example, in the early 1990s, the Conservatives claimed there was no extra money to invest in the railways - they needed to be privatized! After privatization, the government TRIPLED the subsidies, only now the subsidies - our taxes - went to private firms, and their overpaid CEOs.

These criminals will keep on pushing until something gives - and something will give, eventually.

Paul: "Shouldnt you be sending your evidence to the CPS instead?"

Isn't the point, though, that the FO believes that currently the law does not prohibit the acceptance and use of intelligence originally obtained by torture? Either they're wrong and the law does prohibit it, in which case it needs clarification which, it seems to me, is just the sort of thing this committee might help with or they're right and the law doesn't prohibit it in which case some consideration should be given to changing the law: exactly the sort of thing this committee was formed to consider.

"Having just read up a little on the JCHR it doesnt seem they have any power to do anything other than write a report to the House? Which they can then ignore anyway no matter what it says? Or am I missing something?"

I don't think you're missing anything other than that any change to legislation has to start somewhere. Bills don't appear fully formed ready to be voted on by Parliament but, until the stage where they're actually voted through and become Acts, yes, of course they can be ignored.

I should add - to my post above the one above - that after receiving more than three times the original amount in subsidies, the CEOs of the newly privatized railway firms returned the favour by laying off staff and raising prices.

The wonders of privatisation brought to you courtesy of huge taxpayer subsidies!

When I was coming home from London, I used to be able to avoid hanging around Charing Cross by catching a train to a nearby station to the one where I lived. After privatisation, and after the private firms gladly accepted three times more money from the taxpayer, I was unable to do this. Arriving at the nearby station, I was told that this is a different line owned by a different company, and I must pay for using THEIR line. I had to fork over almost as much again. I was furious!

And, of course, now we have ticket barriers to navigate - dare the companies that take taxpayer money provide someone with a job.

It's not our country anymore. Britain is now corporate property.

The British have got what they deserved for being so selfish. It's every man, woman, and child for him- or herself now.

Everyone can talk until their heart's content on this - and other - forums - it's not going to make a blind bit of difference. The British people are weak, and the politicians know it.

Craig I hope this helps!!

I would like to urge you in the strongest possible terms that Mr Craig Murray be allowed to give evidence before your Committee next week. I have heard Mr Murray speak most movingly and with both unalloyed clarity and utmost authority on the issue of torture, extraordinary rendition and the wholesale abuses of human rights that have proliferated since the inception of the so-called 'War on Terror', launched after that terrorist outrage more popularly, if improperly, known as ‘9/11’.

I have read Murray’s work on Uzbekistan and I would suggest that given the recently publicised, yet long denied, cases of torture having been meted out on UK residents in various locations abroad, apparently with the alleged connivance of the British security services, his voice should most definitely be heard.

I am convinced he has a series of evidentially based observations that will most definitely illumine your Committee's deliberations on this subject, which, given your undoubted desire to maintain the British parliament’s standing in the world as the mother of all parliaments, as well as to protect the sanctity of our reputation for being tireless champions of international justice, liberty and fair play, is presently one of greatest possible public concern and, therefore, of utmost concern to your Committee too.

Therefore, I can think of no one more qualified to speak to you at this most critical period in the struggle for the preservation of our human rights and civil liberties. Mr Murray is someone who has made an invaluable contribution in helping to ensure that our long cherished, democratic values are unequivocally upheld at a time when the current UK government has seen fit to drastically curtail our hard won freedoms and to control/ structure the debate around our 'security' by donning the dubious, and by now it must be said, rather tattered cloak of the ’national interest', which, in my long experience, is most invariably invoked whenever governments are being less than candid with the electorate. I am certain Mr Murray's experience, candour and unrivalled knowledge, on the other hand, will be truly refreshing.

Thanking you in anticipation of your most careful consideration of this matter

Yours sincerely

Phil Vellender

As a victim of a serious human rights abuse myself, I certainly support your attendance before the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights. However, my own experience suggests that when powerful forces are involved MPs are scared to act.

My case involves abuses from the UK Government and the MI*s and is summarized on the international Indymedia site on the URL above.

A press article on me was recently published in the UK-based Lobster Magazine. The article is headlined – The Persecution of Roderick Russell.

In January I spoke at McMaster University to the 30th International Congress on Economic Crime Prevention. The subject of my speech: Corporate Terrorism and Government Cover-up.

I have emailed the committee and am sending this on to you on your comments page since your email rejected it.

Roderick Russell
304, 2204 - 1 St SW
Calgary AB T2S 1P4
Canada
(403) 229 - 0864

Me too - the email address, craigjmurray@tiscali.co.uk doesn't work or exist

Under the heading, 'government suppression of evidence', I wrote:

If the Joint Committee on Human Rights refuses to hear the testimony of ex-Ambassador Craig Murray on the issue of the use of torture to extract 'intelligence', it will be further evidence of the government's depravity and collusion with its Washington masters, and in the face of overwhelming opposition from its own citizens... beg pardon, subjects.
For once, show some integrity and respect for democracy and allow Mr. Murray and other 'controversial' witnesses to give the evidence that we all know full well exists.

Many thanks - so far over three hundred emails have found their way copied to my inbox, and a very large number have inexplicably failed to get through to me.

It's happy hour at the BS Saloon...

"...Home Secretary Jacqui Smith insisted that the Government did not condone or use torture.

Ms Smith told Sky News: "We absolutely oppose torture in this country. We don't condone it, we don't use it. Our international partners know that is our position and if allegations are made we will always investigate them and that will involve, if necessary, police investigations."

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090308/tuk-government-facing-torture-row-calls-6323e80.html

Typical grubbyment. Preemptive war, now preenptive comic relief / red nose day japes.

Don't seem so goon on preemptrion when it comes to stopping MASSIVE financial fraud a.k.a. credit crisis however.

who'd have thought, ay?

I am appalled by the evidence emerging
showing the British government in collusion with CIA-lead torture in Uzbekistan.

It is essential for you to hear what Craig Murray has to say. Is this not a matter of Human Rights?

Craig,
best wishes to you. Since you're having email difficulties here is a copy of what I sent:

Dear Members of Parliament,

I understand that tomorrow (Mar. 10) your Joint Committee on Human Rights will discuss whether or not to hear Craig Murray's evidence on the UK government's policy of using intelligence from torture.

We in America face turmoil over the same kind of investigations and issues. Obviously, the US has much to acknowledge and correct of its own, but you should know that the majority here do NOT condone torture and disavow the Bush Administration's policies and practices.

I believe that it is in the face of such anxiety arousing issues however that we develop strength and new insights for moving forward and doing right. Former Ambassador Murray has shown courage and integrity in serving as a witness before the European Parliament and European Council's inquiries into extraordinary rendition. Surely the UK Parliament is willing to seek truth in the service of Human Rights, are you not?

I urge you to hear his testimony.

Mary Wollitz-Dooley, Ph.D.

Torture...

http://tinyurl.com/as83q7

I think that while the UK parliament joint committee on human rights is preparing it`s final report on the use of torture it should recommend a VERY substantial compensation package for Craig Murray for what he and his family have had to endure exposing the illegal activities of the UK government.

"very large number have inexplicably failed to get through to me."

Craig

It maybe that the dot on the end of your e-mail address is stopping the e-mails getting through? if people have done a copy and paste?.

"Lest we forget, the reason Labour - or "New" Labour, or whatever you want to call it - acquired power was because of how bad the Tories were."

Quite, Other John. Having been almost drowned, we are offered the 'change' of being throttled instead. Just as the throttling reaches blackout point we are again offered drowning. Repeat until tyranny.

Continuing to be the poker game sucker by voting either Labour or Tory is not an option.