Girma Belay, a 52-year-old Ethiopian refugee who has lived in London for 12 years, was detained for six days in connection with the London bombings. He told the August 4 Guardian that he was at a friend’s apartment when officers burst in and forced him to lie on the floor before ordering him to remove his clothes. “I was completely naked and then one guy — I will never forget him, he was not in uniform — he started punching me ... I was held against the wall, I was naked. I kept asking, ‘Why is he hitting me?’ and he said ‘shut up’ and punched me again. He punched and kicked me like he was a boxer training on his bag.” According to Belay, when he was released from London’s high security Paddington Green police station, one officer said to him: “Sorry mate — wrong place, wrong time.”

From Green Left Weekly, August 10, 2005.
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