Lotfi Raissi, the Algerian pilot who spent five months in jail fighting off claims that he trained the September 11th hijackers, has spoken to the Today programme about his treatment by British and US authorities.
All the charges against Lotfi were dropped after no evidence was found and in an interview with this programme he says that unless he receives a public apology from the British and American authorities he will take legal action.
Click here to hear the extended interview.
Lotfi Raissi was the first person detained who was accused of being part of the September 11th plot. But even though it soon became clear that he had nothing to do with the attacks it took seven months for him to fight off the charges.
He was arrested at his flat near Heathrow in the days immediately following September 11th and was questioned for seven days. He was then rearrested on extradition proceedings launched by the United States. But the only charges the US could muster were that he had lied about a injury and an old theft conviction on his application for a pilot licence. All the evidence supposedly linking him to the terrorists proved to be wrong and in April all charges were finally dropped.
But now speaking to this programme Mr Raissi says that he wants a public apology from both the US and the UK authorities for his treatment and the impact its had on his life, blaming Scotland Yard, the FBI and the Crown Prosecution Service for discrimination and an abuse of his human rights. If no apology is forthcoming he has said his lawyers will begin action against the authorities.
