‘Extremely troubling’ raid by UK government on Guantanamo Bay lawyer’s office

WorldPolitics
26 Mar 2026 • 1:53 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • The High Court heard that the UK government's raid on a lawyer's office, representing a Guantanamo Bay suspect, was deemed "extremely troubling".
  • Security officers, directed by MI6, seized documents from Rachel Toney's office, including opening secure safes and accessing her laptop, despite her refusal.
  • The barrister for the suspect, Abu Faraj al-Libi, argued the seizure was unlawful and aimed to gain an unfair advantage in a case alleging UK complicity in CIA torture.
  • Concerns were raised that the incident could have a "chilling effect" on special advocates who represent individuals in secret national security proceedings.
  • The government's legal department has apologised for the trespass and acknowledged mistakes in the "timing, manner, and circumstances" of the seizure, stating it will not be repeated.

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