Lotfi Raissi to Echorouk: “I defended my case for the sake of honour… and they can keep their money”

Upon his comeback to Algeria, Algerian pilot, Lotfi Raissi, who was wrongly accused by British justice of having trained individuals who perpetrated the September 2001 terror attacks in the US, granted an exclusive interview to the newspaper “Echorouk” in which he shed light on the ins and outs of this unfortunate miscarriage of justice in which he was the victim as he is proved now to be innocent of all the charges levelled against him by Scotland yard and the Attorney General who got it all wrong in this affair.  

• Echorouk : How was your trip to the United States in the first place?
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• Raissi : Well, the sole objective of my trip to the United States was solely to upgrade my Knowledge. But against my will I was unfortunately involved in a terror affair of which I had nothing to do at all. Knowing that I was totally innocent of the accusations brought against me, I decided to stand up for my rights and to prove my innocence in the framework of the legality and the laws because for me it’s a latter of principle and honour.
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• After being arrested, I was detained for 5 months. Afterwards, I took several prominent lawyers to expound and defend my case in the courts with no respite.
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• The legal proceedings lasted 6 years until 2008 when I triumphed over the British government after justice ruled that my case had nothing to do with terrorism and that I had been the victim of gross drifts on the part of the Scotland Yard police and the Attorney general as well.
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• This was later confirmed by the British Justice Minister who ordered that I should be compensated financially for this judicial error and the unjust ordeal I was subjected to as a result.
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• Echorouk : How was the conduct of Scotland Yard and the Attorney General during the flawed investigation process?
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• Raissi : I should say that I witnessed an abuse of authority and serious breaches of the law within the fifth and sixth divisions of Scotland Yard in charge of the anti-terrorism struggle.
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• After requesting my extradition to the US, the Americans later ascertained that I had nothing to do with terrorism; they dropped the case and left me in the hands of the British who got it all wrong until the belated but salutary British court ruling declaring my innocence in this affair.
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• Echorouk : On what grounds were you then arrested by Scotland Yard?
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• Raissi : I was rounded up by the British police on the grounds that I was a pilot, a pilot instructor, an Algerian, an Arab, a Muslim … That’s why I was arrested … They hatched a nonsensical scenario about me. I was utterly taken aback and flabbergasted at the false and baseless accusations levelled against me. But, undeterred I decided not to give up and to fight aga inst this gross injustice in the framework of the law and justice.
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• Echorouk : Now, what do you demand from the British justice?
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• Raissi : I am now eagerly awaiting a definitive court ruling on the revision of my case with a formal apology to me and the ensuing compensation. I demand an official British apology as a matter of principle because my honour was bitterly bruised in this affair which also had a nefarious impact on my name and my health all along these years.
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• I could do without the financial compensation but I still firmly request a formal apology from the British Justice Ministry for the entire plight I had endured even though I was totally innocent of all the terror charges brought against me.
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• In February 2008 – four years after Algerian Lotfi Raissi first applied for miscarriage of justice compensation – the British Court of Appeal ruled in his favour and referred his application back for reconsideration.
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• Lord Neuberger, Master of the Rolls, sitting in the Court of Appeal with Lady Justice Smith and Lord Justice Hooper, said there had been an “extraordinary delay” in resolving the affair.
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• Mr Raissi’s counsel, Edward Fitzgerald QC, had told the judges that “enough was enough” and the time had come for a decision. He said that no further evidence had emerged against Mr Lotfi Raissi and any suggestion otherwise was “smear and innuendo”.
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