Two Algerians who are facing deportation despite fears that they may face ill-treatment or torture if returned lodged an appeal in the House of Lords today.

Liberty, the human rights group that is intervening in the appeals, said in a statement that two other Algerians deported in January 2007 “were detained and reportedly ill-treated despite a UK-Algeria understanding that their human rights would be protected”.

In a hearing before the law lords headed by Lords Phillips of Worth Matravers, the organisation will argue that “such ’diplomatic assurances’ are inherently unreliable and should carry little if any weight in deciding whether the risk of torture has been eliminated”.

Liberty argues that details of Algeria’s human rights record should not be subject to secret hearings by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) when determining if Algerian nationals are to be returned to the risk of torture.

It also maintains that the men should be allowed to view the crux of the evidence that the Government relies on to demonstrate that they pose a threat to national security.

Without this basic information, Liberty claims, “the suspects cannot possibly deal effectively with the allegations against them”.

The organisation said it believes that the “full and necessary procedural protections cannot possibly be in place when secret evidence is taken into account without ever being seen by the person concerned or his legal representatives”.

Corinna Ferguson, Liberty’s legal officer, said: “It is preposterous that information supposedly proving that Algeria will provide these men a safe return must be kept secret.

“Our Government’s zeal for extensive secrecy is denying them full protection against the threat of torture.”

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