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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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17 July 2006

Press Release: IHRC Condemns CPS Decision not to Prosecute Officers

IHRC condemns the CPS decision today not to charge any police officers over the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes last year. The decision comes despite the Independent Police Complaints Commission recommending that charges be brought against three officers.

IHRC is concerned that the IPCC has now become irrelevant and impotent. The CPS’s decision to ignore the recommendations of the IPCC in a case of the greatest public concern involving the severest abuse of police power does not inspire confidence.

IHRC Chair, Massoud Shadjareh stated:

“That the Metropolitan Police Service has been given a clean bill of health for extra-judicially killing an innocent man because he was perceived to be a Muslim shows the level of institutional Islamophobia in Britain today.

The decision to charge the force with breaching health and safety laws for the execution makes a mockery of the shoot-to-kill policy and will only rub salt in the wounds of the de Menezes family.”

For more information, please contact IHRC on (+44) 20 8904 4222 or (+44) 7958 522 196 or email info@ihrc.org [ENDS]

Islamic Human Rights Commission
PO Box 598
Wembley
HA9 7XH
United Kingdom

Telephone (+44) 20 8904 4222
Fax (+44) 20 8904 5183
Email: info@ihrc.org
Web: www.ihrc.org