Mustapha Labsi is Algerian.  He is 36 years old, and is from Wood Green, North London.  He is married to a Slovakian, and has one child.

Labsi was arrested in an early morning raid in February 2001 when the door of his London home was smashed in by anti-terrorist police officers.

Bundled into the back of a van, Labsi was taken to Paddington Green police station where he was questioned for a week, and then sent to Belmarsh.  It was alleged that Labsi had links to a suspected terrorist group in Germany. 

He remained detained in Belmarsh for three months in connection to this allegation, but shortly after, the case linking him to German terror cells was dropped.  However, before he could be released, he was re-arrested under a French extradition order.

Labsi was then detained in Belmarsh for three years, and was due to be released on bail after it was clear that he had served all the time he would have been required to serve if he had been extradited.

However, he was subsequently rearrested and detained under emergency anti-terrorist legislation that was rushed through Parliament.

These incidents have severely affected his wife, who is suffering psychological shock and is currently in a mental hospital. 

Further to the initial shocks of the arrests, Labsi relates how his then-pregnant wife visited a hospital for an ultrasound.  They refused, and told her that her husband was a terrorist.  When she insisted, they carried out the procedure and told her that her baby was dead.  Upon visiting another hospital however, she was told the baby was fine.

After the baby was born, she was evicted from the house, but eventually found accommodation.  Her experiences have affected her severely.  Labsi described her state saying: "My wife became a human ghost as she is walking in streets without conscience and sense."

The experiences have also greatly affected Labsi: "Due to the stress and pressure I developed stomach ulcer and also anal bleed when I use the toilet and normally loose about one and half litres of blood every week."

Labsi was extradited to France in March 2006. He was later released and travelled to Slovakia to see his son. He was again taken into custody and was held in a detention facility near the Ukranian border. He was transferred from Austria to Slovakia but has since disappeared.  His whereabouts are currently unknown and it is feared that he may be deported to Algeria.

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Campaign Update: Mustapha Labsi