A Birmingham doctor who is running the London marathon to raise awareness about at least five British residents being held without charge or trial by the US Government in Guantanamo Bay has staged a protest at the US Consulate in Belfast.
Consultant neurologist David Nicholl, aged 40, went to the Consulate - dressed in infamous Guantamano Bay-style orange jump suit and bound in chains - to deliver a letter of protest to US representatives.
He was accompanied by protesters with a banner declaring "You do not have the right to remain silent. You do not have the right to a fair trial. You do not have access to an attorney."
On April 17 the Belfast-born specialist who works at the Queen Elizabeth and City hospitals in Birmingham, will be pulling on his orange jump suit and chains again to run the 26-mile London marathon course.
A member of Amnesty International for 20 years, he is raising funds for their campaign against Guantanamo Bay detentions.
Former Beirut hostage Terry Waite and released British Guantanamo detainee Moazzam Begg have lent their support to his marathon bid for which he has already raised more than #2,000 in sponsorship.
Mr Waite said he was supporting Mr Nicholl because: "You do not defeat terrorism by adopting the methods of terrorists."
Mr Nicholl said yesterday: "The situation in Guantanamo Bay is an international disgrace, 550 people have been held there for over three years, without anyone having been charged with anything."
Moazzam Begg and other detainees, the FBI and the International Red Cross had reported numerous examples of torture in the most appalling circumstances, he said.
"Both the US and UK governments have acted in the most dreadful manner, ignoring the Geneva convention," he added.
