HUMAN rights lawyers condemned the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) yesterday for again refusing to bring charges against the British government over its role in the kidnapping and rendition of two Libyan families, including a pregnant woman and children, 12 years ago.

The al-Saadi and Belhaj families were abducted, forced onto planes and flown to the north African country in March 2004 in a joint operation by MI6 and the CIA.

Sami al-Saadi and Abdul-Hakim Belhaj were both prominent opponents of Colonel Muammar Gadaffi’s regime who had been living with their families in exile. They suffered years of torture after their forced return to Libya.