ON
remand at Holloway, Samar's conditions of detention led to marked deterioration
in her physical and mental health -- so much so that by October 1995 she was
not considered fit to prepare for or stand trial. In November the judge recommended
that she be transferred away from Holloway and up to Durham prison, over 300
miles away from London and her friends, family and legal team. She spent another
five months in prison there before she was finally released on bail in March
1996.
In total, Samar had spent twelve months in prison before she had even stood
trial. She was classified as a high security 'Category A'prisoner the whole
time. In the Amnesty International Report, 1995, for the United Kingdom,
under the heading of 'Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment' there is the following
description of the treatment Samar received in custody:
The conditions of detention of Samar Alami...as a Category A prisoner in Holloway
prison, led to a marked deterioration of physical and mental health. She was
kept in virtual isolation, denied regular access to exercise facilities, to
free association with other prisoners and to adequate medical attention.
Samar Alami was moved to Durham prison in November where conditions for Category
A prisoners are better. However, this move greatly impeded her legal visits.
Her defence had spent so much time dealing with these disgraceful conditions
that, in December 1995, they reluctantly had to apply to adjourn the trial date.
In fact, the effects on her health were so severe that twenty Members of Parliament
publicly expressed their concerns and some joined the campaign that many of
her friends and family had set up to support her and highlight the terrible
ordeal she was being put through.
In March 1996, miraculously, Samar was granted bail.
JAWAD was held in custody at Belmarsh for nearly two years before the trial.
Belmarsh is the high-security prison in south-east London that is known as 'Alcatraz
on the Thames'.
He suffered severe migraines and arthritis due to the lack of natural light
and he was locked up for 22 hours at a time and only allowed family visits once
a fortnight. Furthermore, he had sustained an injury in an accident before he
was arrested which, in November 1994, had required him to spend two weeks in
hospital. He was still being treated as an out-patient when he was arrested.
But the lack of medical attention he received at Belmarsh, despite the judge's
orders, led to the judge releasing him on bail on medical grounds, a week before
the trial. Jawad was by far the longest serving remand prisoner at Belmarsh
but, despite this ordeal, the governor of his block said, "I don't believe that
I have ever met a more well balanced, well adjusted and polite prisoner."
