Last British resident in Guantanamo Bay begs Gordon Brown to help set him free

A British resident detained in Guantanamo Bay has written to Gordon Brown to plead for his release.

Binyam Mohamed denies any wrongdoing but fears he could face the death penalty if charged with terrorism offences.

In his letter to No 10, he said he had considered suicide as a way of ending his ordeal, which began when he was detained in Pakistan in 2002.

He wrote: "I have been held without trial by the US for six years, one month and 12 days.

"That is 2,234 days (very long days and often longer nights). Of this, about 550 days were in a torture chamber in Morocco and about 150 in the 'Dark Prison' in Kabul.

"Still there is no end in sight, no prospect for a fair trial."

Mr Mohamed is the last remaining Guantanamo detainee with a right to return to the UK.

Last year, three British residents held at Guantanamo Bay were flown home and a fourth was transferred to Saudi Arabia.

Born in Ethiopia in 1978, Mr Mohamed came to Britain as an asylum seeker in 1994 when he was 16.

Although his claim was never finally determined, he was given leave to remain in Britain, where he stayed for the next seven years.

But, after working as a caretaker in Kensington, west London, he developed a drug habit and, according to his legal team, travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2001 in a bid to resolve his personal issues.

He was picked up in Pakistan in April 2002 as he attempted to leave to return to Britain.

In his letter to the Prime Minister he wrote: "Because I am a Londoner, your government states publicly that you support my right to return home there as soon as possible.

"I am grateful for that. I always viewed Britain as the country that stood up for human rights more than any other. That was why I came to Britain as a refugee."

But he adds: "Before the intervention of your government to help me, I was more resigned to my fate. To be held forever without a fair trial. When your government intervened, I had hope.

"But it has been a cruel hope. Nine months later, I am still here, no closer to home, still in this terrible prison."

Lawyers for Mr Mohamed believe British intelligence officials knew of the plan to transfer him to Morocco, where he claims he was tortured.

In his letter to Mr Brown, he said he felt "deeply betrayed" by the UK.

In an indication of his mental state he wrote: "It is long past time to end this matter.

"I have been next to committing suicide this past while. That would be one way to end it, I suppose."

Earlier this month, Mr Mohamed's legal team, led in the UK by prominent human rights lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, lodged papers at the High Court seeking judicial review proceedings to force the Foreign Office to release any information it has on his movements to the defence.

Downing Street tonight refused to comment on the letter to Mr Brown.