'Meaningless' concession for Guantanamo Britons

America's agreement to withdraw the threat of the death penalty from two British prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay was today dismissed as a "fig leaf " by human rights lawyers.

The concession was won by Attorney General Lord Goldsmith after two days of talks with US officials in Washington.

It means that British-born Feroz Abbasi and Moazzam Begg, both captured while allegedly fighting for al Qaeda in Afghanistan, will also be able to pick their own lawyers and will be tried in public instead of before a closed military tribunal.

Lord Goldsmith claimed he had made "significant progress" in his negotiations.

But his announcement was attacked as "meaningless" by campaigners and dismissed as " outrageous" by one of the men's lawyers.

Stephen Jakobi, of Fair Trials Abroad, welcomed the decision on the death penalty but said the concessions were no more than "the odd fig leaf on a very ugly situation".

He said: "Everything depends on the mode of trial. Running around getting odd concessions like legal representation is totally meaningless if the trial is fundamentally unfair."

Abbasi's solicitor Louise Christian condemned the decision to try her client before a US military court as "outrageous". She said: "They will not be able to mount a defence in any event because they will not be allowed to have contact with defence witnesses.

"The trial is to be in front of US military, who are not independent of the US government. All these things are completely outrageous."

Abbasi, 23, from London, and Begg, 35, from Birmingham, are on President Bush's list of detainees who face tribunals at the Cuba air base. Begg's father, retired bank manager Azmat Begg, said his son was employed as a teacher and charity worker when he was arrested in Islamabad 18 months ago.

He strongly denied his son was involved with al Qaeda.

Speaking about last night's announcement, Mr Begg added: "I'm happy in a way that things are moving forward but our real concern is to bring my son back to Britain and try him here."