Brian Howes’s appeal of extradition to the United States was scheduled before the Scottish High Court for May 26-29, 2009 and his wife’s hearing before the same court is scheduled for June 23, 2009. Should Howes’s appeal be successful, his wife automatically receives parity.
The couple face up to 20 years in prison or a fine of $250,000 if convicted in the U.S. If extradited to the United States, they will have to undergo a judicial process that could take years and result in their 5 children being separated through forced adoptions. And even should the Howes be ruled innocent of the charges, the slow wheels of justice that may cause them to lose their children could ruin any chance of reunion when adoptions cannot be undone.I was drawn to research and write this article after reading an account of the Howes’ dilemma written by Randy Inman. The purpose of this article is not to express opinion on the guilt or innocence of the Howes, but to shine a light on another what’s-good-for-us-is-not-for-you stance of the United States toward the rest of the world. That the United Kingdom would sign away to American authorities dominion over the legal rights of all British citizens reveals such a profound surrender that the appeasement to Germany under Neville Chamberlain appears Churchillian in contrast to the government of Tony Blair.
It is not good for the United States to continue to make one-sided deals with other nations. Such deliberate unfairness will only do further harm to relations with the rest of the globe, already so severely damaged by too much post 911 bullying. The British government may treat with snobbish indifference the basic rights of their own citizens to long-standing legal rights and sovereignty against the intrusions of foreign influences, but such elite apathy will only, eventually, compel the governed to remove those whom govern.
The President of the United States should reopen this Extradition Treaty with purpose to restore balance and to prohibit corrupt usage of “terrorism” as a means to an end for unrelated criminal activity.
If you believe that evidence should be produced before the British courts should rule on extradition of these two British citizens to Sheriff Arpaio’s Arizona chain gang prison, the Howes have provided a link to this petition.
CORRECTION: The writer errored in reporting Mr. Howes was charged with selling pseudoephedrine. Mr. Howes did not stock nor sell pseudoephedrine.The writer regrets the error and has corrected the article.
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