A TALK has been given in a bid to help the defence campaign of a woman allegedly tortured after being accused of links to Al Qaeda.

Yvonne Ridley, an ex-Daily Express reporter, famously converted to Islam two-and-a-half years after being captured by the Taliban while on an undercover assignment in Afghanistan.

Moazzam Begg, a British-born Muslim, was held at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp in Cuba by the US Government.

They both spoke at the Asian Centre in Orford Road on Friday on behalf of charity Cageprisoners about Aafia Siddiqui.

Ms Siddiqui, a Pakistani-born American citizen, was detained and reportedly mentally and physically tortured in various prisons for her alleged links to Al Qaeda.

The event raised funds for her defence campaign.