Voices calling out for justice

And then one powerful voice emerged from the cacophony, as 300 ordinary men and women called for justice for Omar Deghayes.

Hundreds gathered outside the Brighton Centre to heckle politicians into helping the Brighton man tortured for three years by the world's most powerful military.

Just metres away from where their own Government will spend the next four days, demonstrators rallied in protest at the treatment of Omar Deghayes by the United States government.

Mr Deghayes has been held without trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for more than three years.

He is on hunger strike to protest against prisoners being beaten, tortured and humiliated by guards.

On the eve of the Labour Party conference, his supporters held their biggest rally since he was seized in Pakistan.

Dozens of voices called in unison to "bring Omar home" and pledged to keep making noise until Mr Deghayes, a law graduate who has spent most of his adult life living in Saltdean, is allowed to return to Britain.

Alongside those who have championed his cause for the duration, there were people who have just joined the rapidly-growing Save Omar campaign.

Teachers, lawyers, politicians, adults, children, Muslims and Christians were brought together by their passionate belief in the rule of law and the principle of inalienable human rights.

Members of the public who had never before taken part in a demonstration turned out after reading of Omar's plight in The Argus.

Now there are plans to bring the battle inside the Brighton Centre.

The East Worthing and Shoreham constituency Labour Party has tabled a resolution at the conference calling for the 36-year-old to be returned to Britain, rather than his birthplace of Libya, where he fears he would be tortured.

It says: "Following the recent announcement by the US authorities that 70 per cent of detainees in Guantanamo Bay will be returned to their home countries, we urge the Government to make representations to the US administration to return Omar Deghayes back to the jurisdiction of the UK."

The Home Office has until now refused to get involved in Mr Deghayes' case because he does not hold UK citizenship.

The resolution adds: "We appeal to the conference to support the Save Omar Deghayes campaign and, in particular, we urge the Government to ensure that Omar Deghayes is returned to this country, not Libya.

"His family fled from Libya following the assassination of his father, a trade union activist and opponent of that country's regime."

The conference was also lobbied by the Stop The War Coalition, Fathers4Justice, Smash EDO and Communities United for Peace and Justice.

One speaker was Omar's brother Abubaker. He said: "I am really thankful and flattered by the caring nature of the Brighton people. I hope our Government has the same caring nature."

Afterwards Abubaker, 37, told The Argus he thought the demonstration had been "very positive".

He said: "It reflects the feeling of Brighton people and the British people.

"It raises our spirits and it will raise the spirits of those in Guantanamo Bay.

"I am touched by the amount of people here today.

"It shows how kind the British public is and I am grateful to The Argus for helping us get justice for my brother. It has given us a massive lift."

In his speech, Des Turner, MP for Omar's former constituency of Brighton Kemp Town, said: "Only the most awful dictatorships would hold prisoners in the way that detainees are in Guantanamo Bay.

"I am very glad The Argus is campaigning for this. We need to make as much noise as possible."

Jackie Chase, of the Save Omar Campaign, which organised the rally, said: "All the evidence suggests his captors are in violation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the 1998 Human Rights Act. Omar's lawyer said it is a most appalling tragedy.

"If we have any hope as a nation of achieving a good name in the world, it is if we are seen to be standing up for justice."

Human rights Angela Panther, of Amnesty International, said: "This is an important human rights campaign."

Sue Baumgardt, of the Green Party, was holding a banner in the crowd. She said: "I am disgusted that this Government is always creeping behind the Americans and supporting them."

Manus McGrogan, who was selling badges, posters and T-shirts in support of Omar, said: "We hope today will draw attention to the plight of Omar Deghayes - they have been treated like animals."

Avril Loveless, of Park Crescent Road, Brighton, said: "The British government has been colluding with America for far too long and it's time they were put under pressure to do something."

Glenn Williams, from Sussex Action for Peace and the Save Omar Campaign, said: "Tony Blair and his colleagues need to start putting some pressure on George Bush to either properly charge or release British detainees."

Hove and Portslade MP Celia Barlow said: "I have deepest sympathy for Mr Deghayes' family which is why I have come out of the conference to stand with his supporters on this occasion."

Tomorrow at 6pm, there will be a meeting about Omar's case in the Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton with talks by Tony Benn and Moazzam Begg.