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{{short description|Allegedly the highest ranking Al-Qaeda operative in the United Kingdom}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
'''Rangzieb Ahmed''' is a British citizen who was allegedly the highest ranking [[al-Qaeda]] operative in the [[United Kingdom]] (UK).<ref name="tg" /> Ahmed, who was a key link between British recruits and al-Qaeda leaders, was responsible for setting up a [[Clandestine cell system#Non-traditional models, exemplified by al-Qaeda|terrorist cell]] in [[Manchester]] and contacting one of the [[Terrorism|terrorists]] responsible for the failed [[21 July 2005 London bombings|London bombings]] of 21 July 2005.

==Early life==
Ahmed was born in [[Rochdale]] in [[Greater Manchester]] and moved to the [[Kashmir]] area of [[Pakistan]] at the age of seven or eight.<ref name="tg">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3832366/Al-Qaeda-terror-trial-Rangzieb-Ahmed-was-highest-ranking-al-Qaeda-operative-in-Britain.html|title=Al-Qaeda terror trial: Rangzieb Ahmed was highest ranking al-Qaeda operative in Britain|author=Duncan Gardham|date=2008-12-18|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|accessdate=2008-12-21}}</ref> At the age of 18, Ahmed was arrested by [[India]]n forces after allegedly fighting as a member of the [[Harkat-ul-Mujahideen]] and was held in an Indian jail for seven years without charge; during this time Ahmed was also allegedly tortured.<ref name="tg"/> While incarcerated, Ahmed received money from [[Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh]], who later allegedly had [[Daniel Pearl]] murdered.<ref name="tg"/> Ahmed was eventually released in 2001 and he subsequently visited the UK for a brief period of time before returning to Pakistan.<ref name="tg"/> He returned to the UK again in 2005.<ref name="tg"/>

==Al-Qaeda and British intelligence==
In 2005, surveillance by [[List of intelligence agencies#Agencies by country|British intelligence]] revealed a diary in Ahmed's possession (located in his luggage at the time) containing al-Qaeda contacts, with some contact details written in [[invisible ink]].{{Fact?|date=March 2017}} Included in the contact list were the personal details of [[Abu Hamza Rabia]], who was later killed in Pakistan on 30 November 2005, during a US/Pakistani joint operation. [[Explosive material|Traces of explosives]] were also found on Ahmed's rucksack.{{Fact?|date=March 2017}} Following his arrest, Ahmed was initially held in a secret Pakistani prison facility, where he claims he was [[torture]]d alongside [[Hassan Ghul]].<ref name="ahmed">[http://www.cageprisoners.com/downloads/RangziebAhmed.pdf Testimony of Rangzieb Ahmed] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327021932/http://www.cageprisoners.com/downloads/RangziebAhmed.pdf |date=2009-03-27 }}</ref>

A second confrontation with the UK authorities occurred in 2007 when Ahmed was captured at [[London Heathrow Airport|London's Heathrow Airport]] following his arrival from Pakistan. On this occasion, he was charged with "directing the activities of an organization which was concerned in the commission of acts of terrorism", "possessing three books containing information which would be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism", and "possession of a rucksack containing traces of an explosive, in circumstances which suggested it was for a purpose connected with terrorism".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7002132.stm|title=Man charged with terror offenses|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2007-09-19|accessdate=2008-12-21}}</ref>

In December 2008, Ahmed was convicted in the UK of "directing the activities of an organization which was concerned in the commission of acts of terrorism". Such a finding of guilt meant that Ahmed was the first member of al-Qaeda to be convicted for directing terrorism in the UK.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7789340.stm|title=Briton 'linked to core al-Qaeda'|author=Steve Swann|work=[[BBC News]]|date=2008-12-18|accessdate=2008-12-21}}</ref> He was sentenced to life imprisonment and has been directed to serve a minimum of ten years before he is considered for [[parole]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2008/12/19/al-qaida-terrorist-jailed-for-life-263622/|title=Al Qaida terrorist jailed for life|date=19 December 2008}}</ref>

==Torture controversy==
On 7 July 2009, [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]], a British [[Member of Parliament#United Kingdom|Member of Parliament (MP)]], accused the UK government of "[[extraordinary rendition|outsourcing torture]]". Davis contended that the UK government allowed Ahmed to leave the UK and enter Pakistan (even though they had evidence against him upon which he was later convicted), that Pakistani [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] detained and questioned Ahmed under torture, and that British intelligence and police agencies had full knowledge of this. Davis further accused the UK government of trying to gag Ahmed by preventing him from coming forward with accusations after his imprisonment following his return to the UK. Davis stated that there was "an alleged request to drop his allegations of torture: if he did that, they could get his sentence cut and possibly give him some money. If this request to drop the torture case is true, it is frankly monstrous. It would at the very least be a criminal misuse of the powers and funds under the Government's [[CONTEST|CONTEST strategy]], and at worst a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090707/debtext/90707-0020.htm |author=Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) |title=Government Policy (Torture Overseas) |date=7 July 2009 |publisher=UK Parliament}}</ref>

==Appeal quashed==
During the appeal hearing in 2010, Ahmed's QC, Joel Bennathan, claimed he was beaten and had three of his fingernails pulled out with pliers over the course of three days - and that the UK was "complicit" in acts of torture. He argued that the trial judge should have halted the proceedings against him as an abuse of process.<ref>{{cite news|date=30 June 2010|title='Torture' man wins appeal right|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/10465638|last=Casciani|first=Dominic|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=30 November 2010|title=UK 'complicit in al-Qaeda man's torture'|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|last=Casciani|first=Dominic|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11877604|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>

Ahmed's allegations were rejected at his appeal hearing, his appeal dismissed and his application to have his case be heard by the Supreme Court turned down. On 25 February 2010, [[Anthony Hughes, Lord Hughes of Ombersley|Lord Justice Hughes]] ruled that Ahmed's conviction by the jury was safe. He supported the trial judge's original findings: "...that torture had not been demonstrated to have occurred, and had been demonstrated not to have occurred before the sole occasion when Rangzieb said he had been seen by British officers."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12580780|title=Terror boss Rangzieb Ahmed loses conviction appeal|date=25 February 2011|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

On the suggestion of outsourcing torture by British authorities, the trial judge had found "simply no evidence that they had assisted or encouraged the Pakistani detainers to detain him unlawfully or to ill-treat him in any way, whether amounting to torture or not".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/law/2011/feb/25/terrorist-torture-britain-pakistan-complicity-appeal|title=Terrorist who alleged torture in custody loses appeal|last=Cobain|first=Ian|date=25 February 2011|work=The Guardian}}</ref> Ahmed has since applied to have his case reviewed by [[Strasbourg]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/telegraph-view/9499232/Terrorists-seek-a-safe-haven-in-Strasbourg.html|title=Terrorists seek a safe haven in Strasbourg|author=Telegraph View|date=26 August 2012|work=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref>

==Civil claim==

In October 2020, Ahmed brought a civil claim against MI5 for suggesting Pakistan's [[Inter-Services Intelligence]] agency arrest him in 2006 and collusion in torturing him by submitting questions which were put to him under torture in Pakistan. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/27/mi5-colluded-in-pakistans-torture-of-british-terrorist-court-hears?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR2vJ_sP9Kslr4WWSo6ThC19yCZGbBEewN2BL8RCAAjpbcWbKG9Uf7hwcdU|title=MI5 Colluded in Pakistan's torture of British terrorist, court hears|date=27 October 2020|work=The Guardian}}</ref> This claim was rejected by the High Court on 16 December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/rangzieb-ahmed-v-director-general-of-security-service-and-others/|title=Rangzieb Ahmed -v- Director General of Security Service and others|website=www.judiciary.uk}}</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ahmed, Rangzieb}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British al-Qaeda members]]
[[Category:English people of Pakistani descent]]
[[Category:English Islamists]]
[[Category:Islamic terrorism in England]]
[[Category:Muslims with branch missing]]
[[Category:Kashmiri militants]]
[[Category:Kashmiri Islamists]]
[[Category:People from Rochdale]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:British torture victims]]
[[Category:People imprisoned on charges of terrorism]]
[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:English people of Mirpuri descent]]
[[Category:Kashmiri Muslims]]
[[Category:English emigrants to Pakistan]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of India]]

Rangzieb Ahmed - Revision history

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