Written question asked by Tam Dalyell (Labour) on Tuesday, 5 April 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 7 April 2005. It was answered by Bill Rammell (Labour) on Thursday, 7 April 2005 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what access Tariq Aziz has had to his lawyers Emile Ludot and Mathieu Faupin in the last 12 months.

Answer: Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what access Tariq Aziz has had to his lawyers Emile Ludot and Mathieu Faupin in the last 12 months. [224981] Mr. Rammell: Tariq Aziz has a named counsel of record registered with the Iraq Special Tribunal (IST). This counsel of record is an Iraqi national and qualified member of the Iraqi bar. He is free to see his client providing one of them makes an official request for access. M. Emile Ludot and M. Mathieu Faupin are not registered as co-counsel with the IST. Nor have requests to visit Mr. Aziz, who they claim is their client, been received from them by the IST. It has not proved possible to obtain official confirmation of the number of occasions Mr. Aziz has seen his registered lawyer since he was detained in the time available before Prorogation. However, it is believed that two visits have taken place, one meeting being in private and one meeting at the initial hearing before the investigative judge.

Secondary information