By Will Davies
A provocative new film inspired by the NatWest Three extradition is coming to Henley this Friday, after the Regal cinema was inundated with requests to screen the documentary.
Taking Liberties features Goring man David Bermingham who, as one of The Three, was extradited to face Enron-related fraud charges in the US and is set to face trial in September.
The Three campaigned vigorously to have their case fought in the UK, but were flown to the US in July last year under a fast-track extradition treaty that only the UK has so far ratified.
In an exclusive interview, writer and director Chris Atkins, told the Standard: “I saw what was happening to David and thought it was absolutely outrageous. We were initially going to make a small documentary about him but he said no; what was happening to him was pretty bad, but what is happening to a lot of other people is much worse.”
Taking Liberties accuses the government of systematically eroding British civil liberties since 1997 through ten real life stories. “The extradition treaty is one of a number of insane laws that was passed by New Labour as part of an unsightly scramble to try and please the USA after the twin towers disaster,” he added.
“Whole swathes of innocent people are getting ensnared in these laws that were passed with a genuine desire to stamp out terrorism. But they were badly drafted, badly negotiated and not debated, so it means ordinary people like David Bermingham are suddenly caught up in a mangle.
“David has many faults but he is not an Islamic terrorist.”
The film charges the Government of abolishing habeas corpus, meaning that when it comes to criminal justice, Britain is effectively ‘the 51st state of America’.
Mr. Bermingham has never been tried in a British court and no evidence has ever been presented in a British court.
Atkins added: “If it happened to David, it can happen to you. If they can get a millionaire banker, they can get anybody.
"They aren’t in jail because at the very last minute, thanks to the media embarrassment, Tony Blair called the US state department and said, ‘please don’t put these men in jail or I’m going to face a rebellion.’”
The Three have been ordered to live separately, under house arrest, cannot work and have had to re mortgage their houses to fund mounting legal costs.
“The US government is doing what it can to make sure they go to jail for a very long time. David could plead guilty to one offence and get five years in jail as part of a plea bargain. Or he pleads not guilty, and if found guilty could go to jail for 35 years,” says Atkins.
“He is a man of extraordinary principle and won’t take that leap because he’s adamant that he’s innocent.”
Since Mr. Bermingham has been in Texas he has campaigned tirelessly for a change in the extradition law. If the law changes, he would still go to trial. But he continues to campaign for others in Britain facing extradition.
Taking Liberties features Goring man David Bermingham who, as one of The Three, was extradited to face Enron-related fraud charges in the US and is set to face trial in September.
The Three campaigned vigorously to have their case fought in the UK, but were flown to the US in July last year under a fast-track extradition treaty that only the UK has so far ratified.
In an exclusive interview, writer and director Chris Atkins, told the Standard: “I saw what was happening to David and thought it was absolutely outrageous. We were initially going to make a small documentary about him but he said no; what was happening to him was pretty bad, but what is happening to a lot of other people is much worse.”
Taking Liberties accuses the government of systematically eroding British civil liberties since 1997 through ten real life stories. “The extradition treaty is one of a number of insane laws that was passed by New Labour as part of an unsightly scramble to try and please the USA after the twin towers disaster,” he added.
“Whole swathes of innocent people are getting ensnared in these laws that were passed with a genuine desire to stamp out terrorism. But they were badly drafted, badly negotiated and not debated, so it means ordinary people like David Bermingham are suddenly caught up in a mangle.
“David has many faults but he is not an Islamic terrorist.”
The film charges the Government of abolishing habeas corpus, meaning that when it comes to criminal justice, Britain is effectively ‘the 51st state of America’.
Mr. Bermingham has never been tried in a British court and no evidence has ever been presented in a British court.
Atkins added: “If it happened to David, it can happen to you. If they can get a millionaire banker, they can get anybody.
"They aren’t in jail because at the very last minute, thanks to the media embarrassment, Tony Blair called the US state department and said, ‘please don’t put these men in jail or I’m going to face a rebellion.’”
The Three have been ordered to live separately, under house arrest, cannot work and have had to re mortgage their houses to fund mounting legal costs.
“The US government is doing what it can to make sure they go to jail for a very long time. David could plead guilty to one offence and get five years in jail as part of a plea bargain. Or he pleads not guilty, and if found guilty could go to jail for 35 years,” says Atkins.
“He is a man of extraordinary principle and won’t take that leap because he’s adamant that he’s innocent.”
Since Mr. Bermingham has been in Texas he has campaigned tirelessly for a change in the extradition law. If the law changes, he would still go to trial. But he continues to campaign for others in Britain facing extradition.
