Vivienne Westwood (centre).
Last week was Reprieve's annual fundraising dinner and auction. We raised vital money for this very worthy cause, with the help of Jon Snow, Vivienne Westwood, Bianca Jagger and a few other noble souls.
Clive Stafford-Smith, notorious human rights lawyer and Reprieve founder, made a fascinating if harrowing speech about Secrecy: how the UK and US governments keep so much information from the general public, by classifying and redacting information from documents - be they letters from men inside Guantanamo or notes that lawyers make during interviews with their clients - that justice, or the ability to deliver it, is made impossible.
Jon Snow compèred the event and did a wonderful job. Vivienne Westwood donated tickets to her shows in London and Paris. Bianca Jagger read out the seven redacted paragraphs (finally released this year) that proved Binyam Mohammed was tortured and that the UK and US governments were complicit in the process. One of the paragraphs for example reads:
"Although it is not necessary for us to categorise the treatment reported, it could readily be contended to be at the very least cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by the United States authorities."
Paul McGann read a letter written by Bisher Al Rawi about his experience in Guantanamo and how sad he feels for all the men still in there. Bisher is an exceptional human being - I have met him - who was wrongly imprisoned and tortured inside Guantanamo for several years.
There were several other very interesting parts to the evening. Pictures below to show. Reprieve is an extremely worthy charity that helps people in dire situations. If you are interested please visit:
to find out more and make a donation if you wish.
Jon Snow.
Jacquetta Wheeler, Vivienne Westwood and Jon Snow.
No comments:
Post a Comment