Indian Ocean islanders banished from their "paradise" home and campaigning to return won a historic High Court battle with the British government Friday.
A representative islander, Louis Bancoult, claimed he and hundreds of others were unlawfully sent into poverty-stricken exile from the Chagos Islands some 30 years ago to clear the way for construction of the US military base on Diego Garcia, the biggest of the islands.
On Friday the British High Court overturned a 1971 ban which prevents the islanders from returning to their home.
Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office was later granted permission to appeal and given a seven-day "stay" before the court order takes effect -- LONDON (AFP)
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