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Meet Hicham Yezza…

In May 2008, Hich, an Algerian national who’s lived and worked in the UK for more than decade, was arrested at his office at Nottingham University’s School of Modern Languages under the Terrorism Act 2000, as was his friend, Rizwaan Sabir, a postgraduate student researching terrorism at the university’s School of Politics and International Relations.

As for the events leading to their arrest, it emerged, several days after they were arrested, that Sabir had downloaded an alleged Al Qaeda training manual from the website of the US Department of Justice, where it had been openly available since December 2001. Sabir obtained the document in question, which had already been extensively edited/censored by the US DoJ before publication, in order to use it in his research and had done nothing more with it than forward it to Hich for printing to save himself a few quid.

For this ‘crime’ both were arrested and held by the police for six days before being released without charge, at which point Sabir was free to return to his studies, while Hich was immediately rearrested on Immigration charges and, a mere three days later, made subject to a fast-tracked deportation order which was scheduled to be executed on June 1, a mere eight days after it was issued – and all this despite Hich having publicly declared his intent to fight the charges against him.

It’s quintessential New Labour, you have to agree. Over-reaction followed by vindictiveness.

You can find out more at the Free Hicham website – in particular take a good look at just what you can do to help.

Like Tim, I thought I’d email the office of Home Office minister Phil Woolas. I don’t regard the minister as a man of good conscience so it’s probably futile appealing to that part of his make-up. I wondered if there was another lever…

To: Phil Woolas
From: Justin McKeating
Subject: Hicham Yezza

Dear Minister

You are no doubt aware of the circumstances of Hicham Yezza and the ordeal he has suffered at the hands of the Home Office. Others will have rehearsed the reasons as to why Mr Yezza should be allowed to stay in the country. I would just like to say this.

At the next general election my MP Celia Barlow who has a constituency majority of just 420 will knock on my door and ask for my vote. Can you tell me, in the light of the case of Hicham Yezza and many others like his, why I shouldn’t refuse Ms Barlow my vote and campaign for a political party with a more humane attitude on these issues?

I look forward to your reply.

Justin McKeating
Hove, UK

Another brick wall headbutted.