Cage (organisation)

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Cage International
FormationOctober 2003 (2003-10)
TypeHuman rights advocacy organisation with a focus on Muslim detainees
PurposeTo raise awareness around the plight of detainees held as part of the war on terror and related human rights concerns, and "empower communities impacted by the war on terror"
HeadquartersLondon, England
Director
Adnan Siddiqui[1]
Websitewww.cage.ngo
Formerly called
Cageprisoners

Cage International is a London-based human rights advocacy organisation which aims to empower communities impacted by the war on terror. Cage highlights and campaigns against state policies developed as part of the war on terror. The organisation was formed to raise awareness of the plight of detainees held at Guantánamo Bay and elsewhere and related human rights concerns, and has worked closely with former detainees held by the United States and campaigns on behalf of current detainees held without trial. Cage was formerly known as Cageprisoners, and was ordinarily styled as "CAGE".

CAGE has faced ongoing criticism due to the people it works with and its public statements. Critics point out its links to Moazzam Begg, Anwar al-Awlaki and Jihadi John, and argue that the group sometimes seems to support or excuse extremist figures instead of clearly rejecting them.

Activities

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The cell in which a Guantánamo Bay prisoner was detained. Inset is the prisoners' reading room

Cage offers support to those denied due process regarding terrorism offences through casework, advocacy and research. The organisation also documents miscarriages of justice. Cage has developed the trust of Muslims who have been subjected to torture, harassment and other abuses, by informing them of their rights and putting them in touch with lawyers. Cage has also campaigned for the release of hostages held by the Islamic State.[2]

CAGE outreach director, Moazzam Begg

Cage's outreach director, Moazzam Begg, is a Briton from Birmingham who was held for three years by the United States government in extrajudicial detention as a suspected enemy combatant at Bagram in Afghanistan, and the Guantánamo Bay detainment camp in Cuba. He was released without charge in 2005.[3] He has worked to represent detainees still held at Guantánamo, as well as to help former detainees re-integrate into society. He has also been working with governments to persuade them to accept non-national former detainees, some of whom have been refused entry by their countries of origin. Begg has played a crucial role in proving UK complicity in US imprisonment and torture in Bagram and elsewhere, and aided detainees seeking admission and compensation from the UK government.


Charitable funding

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Between 2007 and 2014, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust gave grants to Cage totalling £271,250. In a similar period, the Roddick Foundation, founded by Anita Roddick, gave grants totalling £120,000. In 2015, following pressure from the UK government's Charity Commission, both entities agreed to cease funding Cage. The Charity Commission had said that "Given the nature of [Cage’s] work, and the controversy it has attracted, the Charity Commission has been concerned that such funding risked damaging public trust and confidence in charity".[4]

The Rowntree Trust said the Charity Commission had applied "acute regulatory pressure" and had threatened to institute an exhaustive investigation into the Trust if it refused to stop funding CAGE.[5] The Trust stated that "We believe (Cage) has played an important role in highlighting the ongoing abuses at Guantanamo Bay and at many other sites around the world, including many instances of torture".[6] Cage said that the majority of their income comes from private individuals and that the group "would continue its work regardless of the criticism levelled at it ... even though we aren't a proselytizing organisation, we are a Muslim response to a problem that largely affects Muslims".[6]

In October 2015, following an application for judicial review by Cage, the Charity Commission changed its position and said it would not in future interfere in the discretion of charities to choose to fund Cage. The judicial review heard evidence that Theresa Villiers, a British Cabinet Minister, and US intelligence had both applied pressure on the charity commission to investigate Cage, with US intelligence agents describing Cage as a "jihadist front".[5]

History

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Cage's website was launched in October 2003. It was among the leading organisations which worked on publicising the names of the detainees at Guantanamo.[2] Due to the U.S. government's refusal to publish a list of names until a Freedom of Information lawsuit in 2006,[7] it published names, photos and other information about detainees obtained from detainees' families.[8] The U.S. government's refusal impeded the efforts of lawyers who had wished to represent the detainees there.[9] Cage was formerly Cageprisoners Ltd, and is sometimes styled as "CAGE".

After Anwar al-Awlaki's release from Yemeni detention in 2007, Cage invited the cleric to address their Ramadan fundraising dinners in August 2008 (at Wandsworth Civic Centre, South London, by videolink, as he was banned from entering the UK) and August 2009 at Kensington Town Hall.[10]

As of 2025, it was generally known as CAGE International and it operated in over twenty countries.[11]

Controversies

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Partnership with Amnesty

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In 2010 Gita Sahgal, leader of Amnesty’s Gender Unit, spoke against the organization's partnership with CAGE and Moazzam Begg. Her criticism was about issues concerning women’s rights and discrimination against minorities. Sahgal reasoned this as Begg himself and other individuals linked to the organization, were convicted on terror charges.[12]

Anwar al-Awlaki

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CAGE received heavy criticism for its ties with Anwar al- Awlaki, who was a leading figure within al-Qaeda.[13][14][15] In 2008 he addressed a fundraising event in London by video, but was banned in 2009 as authorities revealed his support of violent Jihad.[16] Some organizations claimed that CAGE purpose in inviting him and exposing him in a positive manner, was done to legitimize an extremist leader.[17] This was method operation in which under the claim of human right, CAGA promoted and protected extremists.[18][12]

Mohammed Emwazi

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In 2015 CAGE was criticized as it became public that Mohammed Emwazi (Jihadi John) had contacted them saying he was being harassed by UK security services. Following his identification as an ISIS militant, CAGE's research director said Emwazi was once a kind and gentle person, but claimed that pressure from UK intelligence services had helped push him towards extremism.[19][20] This increased controversy, as many politicians and journalists attacked CAGE for this, saying the group was blaming the state instead of Emwazi and was too soft on a known terrorist.[21][22] This raised doubts about whether CAGE was a real human-rights group or was defending extremists. This event damaged the organization's relationship with Amnesty.[23][24]

Reception

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Cage campaigns against torture, imprisonment without trial, 'draconian' anti-terror laws and similar issues. Human rights groups have also said that Cage is doing vital work. Cage has spoken out against the UK's anti-terrorism laws.[25]

In 2010, Cage's campaigns to help former detainees re-integrate into society were praised by Cynthia Stroum, the US Ambassador to Luxembourg.[26]

Allegations of security service harassment

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Following the murder of Lee Rigby by Michael Adebolajo in May 2013, Cage reported that Adebolajo had suffered harassment from security services before the offence. A report by the Intelligence and Security Committee of the British parliament later confirmed that the British government may have been complicit in his treatment.[27]

In February 2015, Mohamed Emwazi, a 27-year-old Briton, was identified as the probable masked beheader of civilian captives of ISIS in Syria. Emwazi had, between 2009 and January 2012, been in contact with Cage while in the UK, complaining that he was being harassed by British intelligence agencies.[28] At a press conference the following day, Cage's research director, Asim Qureshi, said Emwazi had been "a beautiful young man"[29] and "extremely kind, gentle and soft-spoken". In Qureshi's view, Emwazi's contact with the UK security services had contributed to his transformation into a killer.[30] "Individuals are prevented from travelling, placed under house arrest and in the worst cases tortured, rendered or killed, seemingly on the whim of security agents." - Cage Prime Minister David Cameron and Mayor of London Boris Johnson both decried the suggestion that Emwazi's radicalisation was the fault of British authorities.[31] According to the BBC, "Human rights groups say they [Cage] are doing 'vital work' but critics have called the organisation 'apologists for terror'."[25] The Labour Member of Parliament (MP) John Spellar encouraged charities which funded Cage to rethink in light of their recent comments.[6] An article published in Open Democracy in July 2015 described media response in relation to Qureshi's comments as 'both overwrought and plainly misleading; not to mention a serious dereliction of the journalistic duty to hold power to account.'.[2] Partly as a result of Qureshi's statement, the Charity Commission pressured charities that had previously funded Cage to cease doing so,[4][32] but changed their position on this in October 2015. Following Emwazi's death in a drone strike in November 2015 in the Syrian Civil War, Cage was among those who expressed dissatisfaction that he had not been brought to trial.[33]

Muhammad Rabbani conviction

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On 25 September 2017, Muhammad Rabbani, the international director of Cage, was found guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court of having wilfully obstructed police at Heathrow Airport by refusing to divulge the passwords to his mobile phone and laptop computer. Rabbani was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £620 costs. Rabbani had been stopped whilst returning from Qatar, where Rabbani said he had interviewed a man to collect evidence for UK lawyers of that man's claims of having been tortured while in US custody. On two previous occasions Rabbani had refused to hand over passwords at ports and airports and had been allowed to pass.[34] Gareth Peirce, Rabbani's solicitor, said the verdict would be challenged in the UK High Court. The verdict confirmed that UK police have the powers under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 to demand access to electronic devices. Rabbani claimed that he had been protecting the confidentiality of his client.[34] Rabbani and Cage described the conviction as a "moral victory" against Schedule 7.[35] The ordeal of Rabbani's arrest and trial is documented in the film Phantom Parrot.

Libel case against The Times

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In December 2020, Cage and Moazzam Begg received damages of £30,000 plus costs in a libel case they had brought against The Times newspaper. In June 2020, a report in The Times had suggested that Cage and Begg were supporting a man who had been arrested in relation to a knife attack in Reading in which three men were murdered. The Times report also suggested that Cage and Begg were excusing the actions of the accused man by mentioning mistakes made by the police and others. In addition to paying damages, The Times printed an apology. Cage stated that the damages amount would be used to "expose state-sponsored Islamophobia and those complicit with it in the press... The Murdoch press empire has actively supported xenophobic elements and undermined principles of open society and accountability... We will continue to shine a light on war criminals and torture apologists and press barons who fan the flames of hate".[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Meet our team". Cage. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Apologists for terror or defenders of human rights? The Cage controversy in context". openDemocracy. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  3. ^ Golden, Tim (15 June 2006). "Jihadist or Victim: Ex-Detainee Makes a Case". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Charities sever ties with pressure group Cage over Mohammed Emwazi links". The Guardian. 6 March 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b Ramesh, Randeep (21 October 2015). "Charities can fund Cage campaign group, commission agrees". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Charities that funded Cage, one time supporter of IS's Emwazi, under pressure". Reuters. 4 March 2015. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015.
  7. ^ "U.S. Reveals Identities of Detainees". The New York Times. Associated Press. 4 March 2006. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Names of the Detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba". The Washington Post. 15 March 2006. Archived from the original on 9 November 2012.
  9. ^ Rosenberg, Carol (15 June 2021). "An Updated Tool for Tracking the Detainees of Guantánamo Bay". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  10. ^ Sawer, Patrick, and Barrett, David, "Detroit bomber's mentor continues to influence British mosques and universities", The Telegraph, 2 January 2010, accessed 15 November 2016.
  11. ^ "About us". CAGE International. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Lending Legitimacy to Terror? Amnestys Partnership with CAGE". 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Islamist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki killed in Yemen". BBC News. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Yemen begins trial of radical preacher wanted by U.S." U.S. Archived from the original on 30 October 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  15. ^ Shear, Sudarsan Raghavan and Michael D. (25 December 2009). "U.S.-aided attack in Yemen thought to have killed Aulaqi, 2 al-Qaeda leaders". ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  16. ^ Doward, Jamie (22 August 2009). "Islamist preacher banned from addressing fundraiser". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  17. ^ "British Charities Underwrite Advocacy Group's Support for Awlaki". 2010.
  18. ^ "ANWAR AL‐AWLAKI THE UK CONNECTION" (PDF). 2009.
  19. ^ "When the 'Beatles' of the Islamic State group ruled Syria's prisons". 13 April 2025. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  20. ^ ""Jihadi John" Mohammed Emwazi talks about police interrogations in audio released by CAGE - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  21. ^ "Jihadi John: Activist who praised Mohammed Emwazi as "beautiful" caught on video backing jihad". www.telegraph.co.uk. 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  22. ^ Porter, Geoff (23 October 2015). "Tailored Online Interventions: The Islamic State's Recruitment Strategy". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  23. ^ Siddique, Haroon (2 March 2015). "Amnesty International considers cutting links with pressure group Cage". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  24. ^ "A reputation at risk". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  25. ^ a b McMicking, Henrietta (27 February 2015). "Cage: Important human rights group or apologists for terror?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  26. ^ MacAskill, Ewen (30 November 2010). "WikiLeaks cables show US U-turn over ex-Guantánamo inmate". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  27. ^ "Cage: the campaigners put in the spotlight by Mohammed Emwazi". the Guardian. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  28. ^ Ramesh, Randeep; Jalabi, Raya (3 March 2015). "Mohammed Emwazi tapes: '9/11 was wrong'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  29. ^ "IS 'Jihadi John' suspect 'a beautiful young man' – Cage". BBC. 26 February 2015. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  30. ^ "'Jihadi John' Used To Be 'Kind And Gentle'". Sky News. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  31. ^ "Jihadi John: Activist who praised Mohammed Emwazi as "beautiful" caught on video backing jihad". The Telegraph. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  32. ^ "Amnesty International considers cutting links with pressure group Cage". The Guardian. 2 March 2015. Archived from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  33. ^ "Jihadi John 'dead': Jeremy Corbyn says 'far better' if militant had been tried in court rather than killed". The Independent. 14 November 2015. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  34. ^ a b Bowcott, Owen (25 September 2017). "Campaign group chief found guilty of refusing to divulge passwords Campaign group chief found guilty of refusing to divulge passwords". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  35. ^ "Rabbani Trial Reactions: A Moral Victory Against Schedule 7". Cage. 27 September 2017. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  36. ^ Sabin, Lamiat (4 December 2020). "The Times pays £30k damages over article defaming Muslim activists". Morning Star. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.