As he continues to languish in prison, IHRC would like to extend its wholehearted support to Craig Murray for the outstanding work he has done over the years in exposing the injustices and crimes carried out by states and officials the world over.

As a fearless, fiercely independent individual, Murray has risked reputation, liberty and personal health to shine the light on the dark, secret world of official torture in which the West acquiesces and indulges.

Without Craig’s whistleblowing while he was British ambassador to Uzbekistan, the world would be ignorant about the horrific torture and maltreatment of political dissidents, mainly Islamists, by the regime in Tashkent. He blew the whistle on the torture farms run by the West in friendly countries assisting the so-called “war on terror” to where suspects would be shipped for violent interrogation after being illegally seized.

Craig was and remains an outspoken critic of that phoney war, dedicated to exposing its imperial and militaristic motivations. He has stoutly defended civil liberties and freedoms, particularly as they detrimentally impact Muslims, as they have been whittled down by the state under the pretext of security.

We are under no illusions that the prosecution and subsequent conviction of Craig for speaking out against perceived injustices is behind the decision of the Scottish courts to imprison him. He is as much a victim of the state abuse of power as those whose rights he has courageously championed for over two decades.