Background

 

Fadhal was arrested on the 2^nd January 2010 and only received a duty solicitor arranged by the police on the 3^rd January 2010. Khalid is a severe diabetic and also suffers from a number of other chronic illnesses including high blood pressure, cholesterol and problems with his kidneys. He only received one insulin injection on the 3^rd January 2010 and therefore was questioned in a situation where he would have needed his medication but was deliberately refused it while being interrogated on the night of the 2^nd and morning of the 3^rd January 2010.

 

Abuse

 

It is witnessed by his partner on the 3^rd January 2010 that he had severe marks on his face, shoulder and down his arm.

 

‘Conspiracy’

 

He was arrested for ‘terrorism’ but on the 4^th January 2010 the Magistrates court dropped that charge to ‘arson’, a pattern that was subsequently repeated twice a month since his arrest. ‘Arson’ became  ‘conspiracy’ to cause an ‘explosion’ which then changed to ‘endangering life’ and finally ended at ‘criminal damage and affray.’

 

Tampered Evidence

 

The police brought a gas safety inspector to the property on the 2^nd January 2010 who examined the gas cooker in question and piping and concluded that, “Everything was stable.” However, unhappy with this a ‘second’ gas safety inspector supposedly of a ‘higher rank’ than the previous – even the previous was trained in both external and internal gas measures – was tall enough to leaned over the gas cooker and immediately ‘concluded’ that the, “pipe had been tampered with” and that there were, “slight marks on the switch and pipe at the back of the cooker.” The allegations then spiralled to gas being smelt on the streets and a large explosion that blew debris out of the house.

 

Narrative

 

Khalid came onto the radar of the security services when he entered a high street store in Birmingham, Selly Oak, with a £400 voucher. The guard took a disliking to him and started to follow him around. Worried, Khalid approached the guarded and presented the voucher that he cause no alarm and allay any suspicion. The harassment continued and Khalid called for the manager. The manager showed the same attitude as the racist guard, prompting Khalid to take the step of calling a police officer to intervene. The police officer on arrival was more racist than the guard or manager and told Khalid to leave using expletives.

 

Feeling distressed at his treatment and limited in his understanding of how his second home, Britain, works he called 999 and attempted to lodge a complaint against the police person’s foul language and manners. They were also unhelpful and frustrated, feeling his less than perfect grasp of the English language the cause of the misunderstanding, tried again to gain their help and lodge a complaint.

 

Unsuccessful Khalid went about his usual business, talking to his partner at 20:00 on his mobile while cooking split peas on the cooker later said to be at the centre of a terrorist plot.

 

Arrest

 

The police then arrived in tens at his door that same night. He was so afraid that he could not bring himself to open the front door which was then smashed in by the police. The mineral water and lemon juice he had in the house was taken as ‘evidence’ of bomb making. The police said they arrested him at 20:00 however his partner can attest with evidence that she was on the phone to him at that time and he was happily cooking dinner without any cause for alarm. He was then interrogated between the hours of 22:00 until 02:00, a span of four hours, and on the next day (3^rd January 2010) he had severe and repeated bruising and cuts on his face.

 

Torture

 

He was then detained and on several occasions he has been beaten by guards in prison. One particular occasion he was beaten for such an extended period of time he defecated himself, a sign torturers use to identify when they are causing irreparable damage that may lead to death. His torturers left him in a cell, soiled, for the whole night lying in his own blood.

 

Mistreatment

 

Khalid suffered much as a detainee in prison while he watched the charges levelled against change monthly. A psychiatric report was filed on him, its findings concluding that he is suffering from 'paranoia' because of the repeated, sustained and prolonged beatings he is getting in prison from the guards of which at least once he was beaten so severely he was rushed to Birmingham City hospital. He has been strip searched at least four times and each time he suffered from anal bleeding.

 

He has also been prevented from his necessary insulin injections for no reason causing partial blindness in one eye, severe anxiety attacks and asthma. He has also collapsed in his cell.

 

Guilty Plea

 

In November 2010 the charges against him morphed into ‘criminal damage’, alleging that he ‘marked’ his own gas pipe. And ‘affray’, because he called 999 repeated to complain about his treatment by the verbally abusive police officer.

 

Unable to see a way out and feeling the weight of the repeated beatings and mistreatment in prison – even though he were not even convicted despite that not being an excuse for such treatment – Khalid pleaded guilty in the hope and misunderstanding that they would put him in a ‘hospital’ and not the prison where he is being tortured.

 

Condition

 

Khalid is to be sentenced on the 21^st January 2011 and will either be sent back to prison for 6 month’s incarceration, or a secure unit and then institutionalised under the UK Mental Health Act.

 

 

Key Facts

 

* Khalid Fadhal has done nothing wrong;

 

* He was arrested on the 2^nd January 2010 for ‘terrorism’;

 

* He has been abused by the police and guards;

 

* He was forced to plead guilty to ‘criminal damage’ to his own gas pipe and ‘affray’ because he called the police to complain about a police officer.

 

Our Challenge

 

* Memorise Khalid Fadhal’s name and the above key facts;

 

* Tell at least one person what you know about Khalid’s case from memory.

 

What you can do to help