No change for jailed drivers
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by Sally Nash • The Foreign Office has rejected claims that UK drivers in jail abroad have been subject to any miscarriages of justice and insists it will consider only "hard evidence" in these cases.
The response, which comes as Labour's first statement on the subject since taking power in May, is likely to disappoint the relatives of British drivers jailed abroad who were hoping for a change from the previous Conservative administration's thinking.
A letter sent from the Foreign Office to UK legal pressure group Fair Trials Abroad, says: "We have seen no evidence to support your belief that truckers, who represent a very small percentage of British prisoners abroad, have been subject to miscarriages of justice."
However, the Foreign Office says it would consider any hard evidence— this rules out rumours, accusations, or protestations of innocence.
And it insists that the welfare of all British prisoners is still a major preoccupation of the Foreign Office.
"The Government attaches the highest priority to defending the rights of British prisoners abroad," says deputy head of the Foreign Office's consular division, Frank Doherty.
The move comes as Caroline Bryant—the sister of UK owner-driver Steve Bryant jailed in Morocco for drugs trafficking—is putting together a petition for his release to submit to Prime Minister Tony Blair.
She believes that the earliest date that Bryant can hope for release is March next year.
Hopes of a King's pardon earlier this month were dashed when Bryant was not included on the list.