Talha Ahsan is a British-born poet and writer with Asperger syndrome facing extradition to America.
If convicted he will spend 70 years in “supermax” solitary confinement in ADX Florence.
Read on and help stop this injustice.
Who is Talha Ahsan?
Talha Ahsan is a British citizen born in London in 1979. He was educated at Dulwich College before receiving first class honours in Arabic from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). In the week of his arrest he had job interviews to train as a librarian.
Talha has Asperger Syndrome (a form of autism). His mother describes him as “a serious, bookish young man… a very gentle, softly spoken and thoughtful boy.”
He is also a keen poet and has received acclaim from novelist A.L. Kennedy amongst others.
Why is he in prison?
Talha Ahsan was arrested at his home on 19 July 2006 in response to a request from the USA under the Extradition Act 2003 which does not require the presentation of any prima facie evidence. He is accused in the US of terrorism-related offences arising out of an alleged involvement over the period of 1997-2004 with a series of websites, one of which happened to be located on a server in America.
He has never been arrested or questioned by British police, despite a number of men being so from his local area in December 2003 for similar allegations. All of them were released without charge.
One of them, Babar Ahmad, was later compensated £60,000 by the Metropolitan police after a civil case in March 2009 for the violent physical abuse during his arrest. It was evidence from this incident which formed the basis of Talha’s arrest two and a half years later.
Talha is currently in the final stage of proceedings at the European Courts of Human Rights (ECHR). He has now served the equivalent of a 10 year sentence at high security prisons without trial. He has no knowledge when his imprisonment will end. He denies all wrongdoing.
What is ‘Supermax’?
Imagine being confined in a 75.5sq feet cell with only a concrete slab and a thin mattress for a bed for 23 to 24 hours a day for every day of your life – the only window three inches wise looking out to a concrete pit…
This is the prospect Talha faces if extradited and convicted in the US – life without parole in solitary confinement at ADX Florence, Colorado.
Virtually all of an ADX prisoner’s daily activities occur within the confines of his single cell. Food is delivered through a slot in the door, and he eats his meals alone. He receives educational and religious programming – and some medical care – through a black and white television in his cell. When an inmate is moved outside his cell, he is shackled behind the back, and subject to a strip search.
His cell window looks out onto the concrete pit that serves as an outdoor recreation area. The sun is never visible. Prisoners at ADX rarely have contact with any other living thing, except the gloved hands of the correctional officers. Prisoners never touch soil, see plant life or view the surrounding mountains.
Prisoners in ADX receive one 15 minute social telephone call per month. Any call that is “accepted” (even by an answering machine) is considered “completed” regardless of the duration. Visits with family members are separated by a glass screen with only a telephone to speak through. The inmate is shackled throughout the visit.
In 2006, the U.N. Committee Against Torture expressed concern about “prolonged isolation periods” and “the extremely harsh regime” in US Supermax prisons. It is little wonder that the former warden of ADX Florence described the prison as a ‘clean version of hell.’
What do his supporters want?
Talha deserves freedom or a fair trial in the UK. There is a legal basis to try his charges in this country. The Home Secretary should also give special consideration to his medical condition. A decision to prosecute Talha in the US will only ensure his trial is as unfair as prosecutors can make it.
How does this affect me?
The Extradition Act 2003 devalues the sovereignty of British citizenship. It was fast-tracked into UK legislation without proper scrutiny. Under the current provisions, British judges have no opportunity to decide which country is more suitable for prosecution and nor can they assess the quality of evidence from the requesting state.
In June 2011 the cross-party Joint Committee on Human Rights called for the implementation of a ‘most appropriate forum’ safeguard. This would allow a British judge to refuse extradition where the alleged offence took place wholly or largely in the UK.
The committee of MPs and peers also recommended that the Government ‘urgently’ renegotiate the US-UK extradition treaty to exclude granting requests in cases where the UK police and prosecution authorities have already decided not to charge or prosecute the individual on the same evidence adduced by the US authorities.
A country that has demonstrated such a flagrant disregard for human rights in recent years is not the proper forum for justice. David Blunkett, the home secretary who was responsible for the act, now expresses regret at its consequences. Any concerned British citizen must work against such a law.
How can I help?
- Write to your local MP to ask the Attorney General to try Talha in the UK. Encourage your acquaintances to do the same. For details visit theyworkforyou.com. A sample letter is available on freetalha.org. Please send us copies of any correspondence.
- Use our free campaign postcards to write to the Home Secretary: The Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP Home Secretary Home Office 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF
- Write to Talha:
Talha Ahsan A9438AG
HMP Long Lartin
South Littleton
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 8TZ
He can also be emailed by registering at Emailaprisoner.com
- Organise an event or letter-writing session in your locality
- Inform others by distributing further copies of this leaflet
- Follow and retweet our updates on our social networking sites on Facebook and Twitter.
- Donate: Contact us if you would like to make a contribution to the campaign.
To order free campaign materials and for further information contact:
Free Talha Ahsan Campaign
PO Box 64590
London
SW17 IDG
info@freetalha.org
07539 659 532
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