The UK government has agreed to pay a confidential but "substantial" sum to Abu Zubaydah, a detainee held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to settle a long-running legal claim.
A Legal Settlement and Political Backlash
Lawyers for the 54-year-old Palestinian announced the settlement on Sunday, ending his action against the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Home Office, and the Attorney General. The case centred on allegations that UK intelligence services sent questions to his CIA interrogators while aware of his torture.
The news prompted immediate criticism from senior Conservative figures. Party leader Kemi Badenoch stated on X that UK taxpayers' cash was being handed to a "terror suspect." She highlighted that Labour's Attorney General, Richard Hermer, had previously represented Abu Zubaydah.
Shadow chancellor Robert Jenrick also questioned the payout in an open letter to Justice Secretary David Lammy, asking how giving "taxpayers' money" to a man accused of training terrorists for al Qaeda could be a government priority.
The Allegations of Torture and UK Complicity
Abu Zubaydah was captured in Pakistan in 2002 and transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006. He has never been charged with a crime. His legal team claimed he was subjected to severe torture in CIA "black site" prisons in countries including Thailand, Poland, and Lithuania.
Specific allegations include being waterboarded 83 times in a single month, along with beatings and extreme sleep deprivation. The High Court heard he argued the UK was complicit by providing questions to his captors.
Throughout the proceedings, UK government departments neither admitted nor denied knowledge of his location or treatment, citing national security.
Calls for Justice and Release
Abu Zubaydah's international counsel, Professor Helen Duffy, called the payment "significant" but "insufficient." She stated the UK must do more to meet its obligations, including facilitating his immediate release from Guantanamo.
"This case is deeply relevant today," Prof Duffy said, "as some states ride roughshod over international law... There are critical lessons about the cost of cooperating with the US or other allies flouting international norms."
The exact settlement figure remains confidential. Sky News has approached the Foreign Office and Ministry of Justice for comment.
