FORMER PM Tony Blair and his Home Secretary Jack Straw must reveal what they knew about the illegal detention of Shaker Aamer, Alex Salmond has said.

Speaking after the publication of the first extensive interview with Aamer since his release from Guantanamo Bay in October, Salmond said that the allegations made by Aamer mean that serious questions must be asked about British involvement in his detention.

The 48-year-old was released just months ago after being held in the American prison for 14 years following his arrest in Afghanistan in 2001.

In the interview conducted by a Sunday newspaper, Aamer talked in detail about the torture he was put through over the past 14 years, including being hog-tied, beaten and deprived of sleep.

Despite being held for over a decade, Aamer was never charged with a crime, and was cleared as posing no security risk twice, first in 2007 and then once again in 2009.

The US military had previously accused the Saudi-born British national of fighting with Osama Bin Laden, working as a terrorist recruiter and being in charge of weapon stores.

While Aamer was being held at the Bargram Air Base in Afghanistan, he was visited by three British officials, who witnessed him being beaten by American soldiers in January 2002.

It is thought that the officials, one of whom claimed to have been from M15, arrived on a plane alongside Tony Blair on the night of January 7, when he became the first western leader to visit the country after the ousting of the Taliban.

Speaking yesterday, Salmond questioned the role played by Blair and Straw in the detention of the 48-year-old, which he described as “illegal and improper”.

“As in so many things, Messrs Blair and Straw have a great deal to answer for, and they have to be asked the straight question how could they possibly not have known about the fate that had befallen a British citizen,” the former First Minister said.

“Governments are not meant to collaborate on the illegal abduction and then the torture of one of our own citizens. The then Prime Minister and Home Secretary have to face up and tell us exactly what they knew, and when they knew it.”

The Gordon MP went on to say that one possible reason Aamer had been held in detention for so long after being cleared is the information he had relating to the incident at Bagram Air Base in 2002.

“Few, if anybody, would doubt that this man was held illegally and improperly over a period of 14 years, and was held in detention at Guantanamo Bay long after everybody knew he had no connection with terrorism whatsoever,” Salmond added.

Jack Straw was quick to hit back at Salmond’s comments, telling reporters that they were completely untrue. The former Home Secretary said: “The British government was never complicit nor condoned torture or other ill-treatment of detainees wherever they were held.”

“I spent a large part of my time as foreign secretary making strong representations to the US government to get British detainees out of Guantanamo Bay and the US government’s ill-treatment and torture of detainees remains a terrible stain on its record,” he said.

Aamer and his family had relocated to Afghanistan in July 2001, hoping to take advantage of the cheaper living conditions to create a better life.

As the American-led invasion of Afghanistan began following the 9/11 attacks, Aamer and his family attempted to flee their family home just outside of Kabul for fear of getting bombed.

Aamer was taken into US custody on November 24 2001 when he was sold to American forces by a bounty hunter, who collected a significant reward for turning over the dad of three.

After years of repeated calls from Human Rights Groups across the world, Aamer finally arrived back in London on October 30 where he reunited with his wife, before meeting his children the next day.

“At last the moment I’d dreamed of came and she came through the door,” Aamer said. “That instant washed away the pain of 14 years. I hugged her, she hugged me, and we just wept.”