A veteran of Israeli gaols, wheelchair bound Mahmoud Abu Rideh is a stateless Palestinian, who has indefinite leave to remain in the UK. His family are British citizens. Following a police raid on his home in December 2001, Abu Rideh spent the next three and a half years detained without trial in HMP Belmarsh and Broadmoor. In March 2005, he was finally released, only to endure a new kind of imprisonment - under a control order, which he remains under to this day. Mahmoud Abu Rideh spoke to Cageprisoners' spokesman Moazzam Begg about his seven year ordeal and the impact that this has had on his mental health and his family life. Shortly after this interview was conducted Mahmoud was hospitalised, following a suicide attempt. He remains there, having refused food for over a month, on hunger strike til death or until he is allowed to leave the UK.

Listen to the audio of the interview:  http://www.cageprisoners.com/download.php?download=799

MOAZZAM BEGG: Could you introduce yourself to our readers please? How old are you, first of all?

MAHMOUD ABU RIDEH: My name is Mahmoud Abu Rideh. I am from Palestine, from Gaza Strip. My age is 37. I have six children, who live with me in London. I’ve been with the problem in this country now for I think seven years, since 2001…

MB: We’ll come to that, I just want to ask you a few more questions about the initial stages of what happened to you. Can you just tell me what nationality do you hold?

MAR: I don’t have any nationality. I’m stateless. I’m Palestinian and Palestinians don’t have any nationality before…

MB: So you are a person who has no nationality?

MAR: Not any nationality. Still til now, I don’t have nothing in this country. My family they are all British citizens, all my family in this country, and for me, nothing I have.

MB: How long have you been living in this country?

MAR: I’ve lived in this country, ’95 til now.

MB: So you’ve been in this country for a total of thirteen years. And you still have no right to any nationality here?

MAR: Nothing, yes.

MB: Could you explain to us what took you to the United Kingdom? What was the reason that you came to the United Kingdom?

MAR: I come as an asylum seeker from Palestine. I was born in Jordan. I don’t have anything because they have two fighting (wars) with Israel, first fighting ’48, second fighting ’67. My family go Jordan ’67. And these people in Jordan since ’67, from Gaza Strip, they don’t have anything in Jordan, like they don’t have nationality, still asylum, still status in Jordan, and still in the camp in Jordan.

MB: So even in Jordan, they have no…

MAR: Nothing.

MB: Can you tell me what did you used to do before you were taken to prison? What sort of work were you involved in?

MAR: My work before - I have - like a charity. I help people in Palestine, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Chechnya - any country that have problems, I help them. I have charity, Islamic Services Bureau and I have two schools in Kabul, Afghanistan.

MB: I know that very well, because we worked together to build that school, which we all had problems with, for girls. And for our readers - I think it is very important for our readers to know this - that the school that you began, with many people, including myself, helping in it, was for girls in a place where the rest of the world was saying that the Taliban did not allow female education, when in fact Muslims were helping to set up schools, like yourself, for girls in Afghanistan.

Can you just explain to us, when the first raid took place - I think it was in 2001 when you were arrested - could you explain a little bit about what were the circumstances? Who arrested you, and why they arrested you?

MAR: Before 2001, never I go prison, never I have any charge, never I meet anybody from MI5, MI6, Scotland Yard, never anyone stopped me, never in my life in this country. And I have indefinite leave to remain.

MB: You have leave to remain in this country?

MA: Yes, I have it, before. After 9/11 2001, in the morning, about 5am in the morning, I find some people in my house, coming, MI5, Scotland Yard, Immigration, too many people, police…

MB: Did they knock on the door, or did they break the door?

MAR: No, they broke the door. And they just take me straight from my house to Belmarsh, single cell.

MB: Your family and your wife…?

MAR: They take my family, my wife, my children, to hostel in Sutton.

MB: And your family, were they very upset?

MAR: My family were very upset. Never I go like before any problems. I didn’t think he arrested me. Quickly they told me you’re not going to leave this country.

MB: Did they make any form of charges against you? Did they take you to court?

MAR: No, no court, no lawyer, they didn’t take my fingerprints still til now, they didn’t take my DNA. Nothing, still ‘til now. They take me at 5am in single cell to Belmarsh High Security, and Belmarsh, it’s a unit… no, I didn’t go to the police station. This is the law, Anti-Terrorism Act 2001, you don’t have charge, no trial, and you stay indefinitely in prison.

MB: So at this point, they didn’t tell you that there were any charges or what crime you’ve committed, or anything?

MAR: No, just that I’m a threat to national security. Yes, this, and this is in the letter. And nothing more.

MB: And at this point, you had no lawyer at all?

MAR: No lawyer, maybe after one and a half months.

MB: Subhan Allah

MAR: And my family didn’t know where is me for maybe two months. My wife, she lived in New Malden, she phoned Kingston Police Station. They said I don’t know where’s this man. I don’t know him. She tried phoning too many… Scotland Yard… too many…

MB: Police stations?

MAR: …police stations in this country. And no one…

MB: And nobody explained to her where you were taken away, where you had gone?

MAR: No.

MB: Following your arrest and in Belmarsh, your imprisonment there, could you tell us a little about what the conditions, the treatment inside Belmarsh was at that time?

MAR: This time you go Belmarsh, and you go in the prison, and you have in Belmarsh, a unit, a prison within a prison, Cat AA.

MB: A prison within a prison?

MAR: Yes, you have a unit in Belmarsh, which is for very, very dangerous people, criminal, big case.

MB: And this people have been convicted already?

MAR: No, no, they are waiting for the trial. Just I go there, he give me in a single cell…

MB: And how many hours were you locked up for?

MAR: 23, no, 22 hours locked up.

MB: 22 hours.

MAR: More than 22 hours. You have like 45 minutes for exercise, 45 minutes for association and all the time you have short staff.

MB: So they always cut you short?

MAR: Yeah, every time. And difficult for the visits. After my wife, I think she visited me after two months, and closed visit still. And you see your children and your wife, your family, and you have glass.

MB: So you are not able to physically touch your children?

MAR: No, no, not allowed. After six months, allowed.

MB: And so they were treating you as if you were one of the highest ranking category prisoners, the biggest criminals, even though you hadn’t even been charged with a crime?

MAR: Yes.

MB: What was your interaction with other prisoners? Were you able to interact with other prisoners? Or did other prisoners treat you badly? What was their sort of attitude towards you?

MAR: Like I have too many problems, too many incidents with the officers in Belmarsh, not one. I believe these people who work in Belmarsh and all the prisons in England, these people are same people who go Iraq, go Afghanistan, the same family, the same neighbour, the same people, the English people, the same officer, the same. I go there, after maybe three days I had an incident. Still all the time I have flashbacks of this incident, it’s coming in my mind, it’s coming all the time. I dream this all the time. I have --- with a prison officer. I go in 19th in prison, then 21(st), after two days, I think Boxing Day, you have Christmas time, Boxing Day, and I think this day, on Saturday, in the morning, already when I go to Belmarsh I have back pain problem, and I have depression. I have medication for depression, already outside, before I go prison, maybe six or seven years.

MB: And that’s because of the trauma inside Palestine?

MAR: Yes, I’ve been in prison in Palestine, yes. I told the doctor, I went on medication. He tried to phone my GP and he phoned my family, or something, and he give me medication, two books, small books, every one I have maybe twenty tablets. He said take one in the morning, and then the other one in the morning (evening); again every day, two. One day, when I had association with another prisoner, when I mixed with a Muslim prisoner, when I stayed with him - still I have my back pain problem, I can’t sleep at night, all the time in a single cell, and I think too much for me, I don’t know what charge I have, why I’m here - too many questions and I don’t have any answer. I worry for my children; I worry for my wife, about everything. And this day, one friend told me, “This tablet - this is paracetamol, these are two books of paracetamol!” Quickly I flipped and I put all the tablets on the floor, straight away on the floor.

MB: So it was just paracetamol?

MAR: After I realised this was paracetamol, this is nothing, where is my medication? I wanted a strong painkiller for my back and something else for my depression. I put the paracetamol on the floor, quickly I put it on the floor, I tread on the floor. Quickly, there is an officer coming, he locked my hands and put me in my single cell. After fifteen minutes, he take all the prisoners, you go exercise - this was in the morning – this time eight officers coming, you have special clothes, all like - hands plastic…

MB: Protective armour protection, protection for his legs, armourment Everything goes inside, comes in with a shield.

MAR: Special shoes, special clothes, everything special. He quickly opened my cell and one officer he attacked my heart. Quickly I can’t breathe, I cut my heart. Eight people, in a single cell, it was very small.

MB: Sounds like Guantanamo, because that’s what they used to do to us in Guantanamo.

MAR: Yes. After, I can’t breathe. I was in too much pain, I cried. I don’t know what’s happened, too much pain in my heart. Quickly, he take me, he put my hand in the back and he take me in a different place.

MB: He handcuffed you?

MAR: Yes, handcuffed, and he take me to the basement, in a seclusion unit, in the basement. And I don’t know anything. I don’t know seclusion, I’m now three or four days in the prison, I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything for seclusion, I don’t see these people before.

MB: So why did they put you there? What was there..?

MAR: I don’t know. He take me there, I go this room, and the room is very black. All the walls are dark and black.

MB: So you couldn’t see anything?

MAR: I didn’t see anything and he put me there. And the doctor coming after maybe five or six hours, and this doctor told me, and I remember Indian doctor, a woman, she’s very old. I tell her, look I have bruise, quickly I opened my shirt, in my heart, I see I have bruise, blue, and I see I have pain again. I told her, 'I have pain here, see, the officer attacked me in the morning. Somebody attacked me. I have pain, I want to go to hospital to see somebody, I want to phone my lawyer'. She didn’t let me do anything. She just said, 'stay here'.

MB: How long did you remain in this dark room for?

MAR: I stayed in this room for four days. After I stayed in this room, four days, he take me, he said the Governor is coming, he wants to see you. And I go to the Governor, I have a court inside Belmarsh.

MB: A prison court.

MAR: A prison court, you have. You have to intercom in the phone. I remember this intercom guy, the name, Hassan. You have intercom. I phoned and he told me. He gave me charge now, two charge, one charge: why did I put the medication on the floor, it’s dangerous for other prisoners, health and safety. The other charge he gave me, he told me I attacked an officer, officer in hospital.

MB: When in fact the officer had come inside into your cell, in full armoured gear…

MAR: Yes, he told me I attacked somebody. And quickly as I saw these two charge, I said this is injustice. I don’t attack, I have injury; somebody attacked me. I didn’t attack anybody. I go cry again, why, you put me in prison for nothing? I worry for my family. Now fourth day I don’t see any friend, I don’t see any prisoner, I don’t have any association, the food is coming into my room. And this time, I stopped eating, I go hunger strike, I don’t eat anything. I drink water for four days. He told me, drink. I said no I don’t drink. I said why you put me here? Send me back with my friend. The Governor told me, you attacked somebody. I said, no, I didn’t attack anybody. Bring the pictures, you have camera, CCTV camera and everything, and he don’t listen. He told me, the Governor, I’ll send you now upstairs, in the unit with your friends, if you will stop the hunger strike. I said ok, I agree. I don’t like to stay more than four days in this room. My feelings are very down and I don’t eat anything. I go dizzy and I can’t walk. I have too many problems.

MB: So how long after you had been in prison?

MAR: Just four days. The problems start like this.

MB: Just after four days? From the beginning?

MAR: From the beginning. Six weeks, I went to speak to the lawyer. Next week, he bring me the same, in the court. And before I go to court, still I am fasting, I go in the corridor of the unit, very small. The officer, he’s a very big officer and he has tattoos all over the body, on the face, everywhere, and he’s smoking, and he put smoke in my face. I said look, I have problem with breathing, I have asthma, I don’t like smoke, I am fasting. He put it in my face, again and again and again. After I go inside the court, inside the room, with six or seven officers, the Governor and too many people still inside. I tell them quickly, before you want to start with me, to give me charge with the incident ten days before, I was to tell you about this man, he was smoking in my face, I have asthma, I have problem, and he talked to me bad, and he’s swearing, and he talked to me rubbish talk. And he won’t listen. Can I just ask him why this? The Governor, he doesn’t listen to me, he doesn’t listen to my talking, I give him a question he doesn’t give me the answer. Quickly, he start with the court. He told me, look you have two charges, like I told you last week, why did you put the medication on the floor, all over the place, not safety for the prisoners, and I take this charge. And you have another charge, you attacked the officer. I said I did not attack anybody and don’t play with me games, this is a big game, I don’t done anything wrong. And the problems start like this.

The next day, you have association, I go to my association, I have shower. Wallahil-‘adheem I told the truth, people think I made this talk, no, wallahil-‘adheem, I tell the truth. The next day, I go shower, and this time I think, four o’clock in the afternoon. I am in the shower now and cleaner coming with me. He told me, shower finished. I said no, still I have shampoo in my hand, soap everywhere, please let me finish. Quickly, the officer coming, he take me in my cell, I don’t still finish my shower and I don’t have any clothes…

MB: And you’re still covered in soap and no clothes?

MAR: No clothes, and still the shampoo is everywhere, and the soap – everywhere, my face, everywhere. I don’t finish. This is the incident. Every time something else coming. One day he don’t give you your food, you order something he give you something else. Like, every time you have something else. Like, they don’t give me my visit, my wife. Every time he told me, full, the place for visits is full. This time I went to see lawyer, I didn’t see my lawyer. This time, my lawyer, he take the government to court, why they don’t give me any visit, any legal or social visit. The judge, he moved him from Belmarsh to Brixton.

MB: He moved you?

MAR: No, he moved the Governor in charge. And he tell him next time he said if you come and give this man problems I will put you in prison. I remember this, if you want you can ask my lawyer, Gareth, she remembers this, and Daniel, he remembers this problem. Like I told you, how many problems, maybe a hundred incidents like this.

MB: And do you think these incidents were taking place just to break you mentally?

MAR: Yes, he break me, my mind, and I can’t sleep all the time. At night time, all the time, at night, I have light inside my room. I put the light off at night. Somebody coming in shift night, the staff, the officers, he put the light on, all big light. I put it again off, he put it on - all the time he play with you games, in the night. He kick the door in the night.

MB: To keep you awake.

MAR: Yes, I don’t sleep.

MB: A lot of this sounds very similar to treatment of people in Guantanamo, in Bagram and other places; the way they kick our cells, they used to sometimes throw stones on the bars to keep us awake. Why do you think they were doing this? You weren’t being interrogated at this time? Was anybody asking you any questions at this time?

MAR: No, no. Still, no one has given me any questions.

MB: So no one – you were never questioned?

MAR: These people were racist, and you have racists and discrimination against Muslims. Terrorist everywhere, he thinks I am a terrorist, the officer. He just treats Muslims like this, and he’s happy. These people are very bad people. And I smell it all the time, the officer he drink alcohol. He can’t walk. He’s still smelling of alcohol. And it’s very, very bad, you work here, all the people who work in Belmarsh, he been in army. I see too many in the ward there. He been in army, twenty years, fifteen years, in Middle East and different places, Africa, everywhere – he been in the army. After he finish with the army, he come and work in Belmarsh. Like I see in Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo, too many prisons, secret prisons in the world everywhere, I see the same. They treat you the same.

MB: So how long did you remain in Belmarsh in the first period?

MAR: I stayed in Belmarsh, I think eight months.

MB: And after Belmarsh…?

MAR: After Belmarsh, he moved me to Broadmoor Hospital.

MB: Broadmoor because of the effects of…?

MAR: Yes, because I have problem, and he moved me in Broadmoor. And in Broadmoor, the same. He put me with mad people, with mental…

MB: What was their reason, was it your decision to go to Broadmoor?

MAR: No, it was not my decision. At this time, I go hunger strike, I did not eat anything for four months. I lose… Why? For detention without charge, for racism, for discrimination in Belmarsh, too many reasons, why I go hunger strike. Like fourth visit, my family visit me, too many problems.

MB: Sorry, just to go back, your relationship with other prisoners in Belmarsh, what kind of relationship did you have with prisoners, with other detainees?

MAR: Nothing, just I see Muslim people. Some people you have the same as my case, like ten to fifteen people in my case, no charge, no trial.

MB: As far as other prisoners, how did they treat you, the prisoners that weren’t Muslim?

MAR: Non-Muslim? It was very bad. The officer told me many times. He told me I’ll kill you one day, you go back your country, and this is the officer he told me this, and too many problems. Like, one day, I filled the form for my family to visit me and asked me the officer for your children’s names. I put my Khalid, my son, Imad, Alaa, my daughter’s name, Hani, Israa. Why don’t you put Bin Ladin with you?

MB: Subhan Allah.

MAR: Don’t ask me this, I don’t know Bin Laden, I don’t know where is Bin Laden. He said, just put Bin Laden. And I complained, I don’t take anything. And all the time you complain with the treatment, you have complaints department, no action do they take, nothing, nothing.

MB: They don’t accept anything.

MAR: You have an investigation, some officer coming, and the other governor, the other unit, the other wing…

MB: From the same department.

MAR: The same, Belmarsh. I tell you I want people outside the building, some people outside, never these people coming. And maybe he’s coming he’s still with the government, the system. Never he finds the government, the system is guilty. All the time, the prisoners guilty, especially Muslims.

MB: Even though he’s not been charged with a crime.

MAR: Yes.

MB: So in Broadmoor, can you describe a little bit about what was your mental status that they decided that you need to go to Broadmoor? Why did they send you to Broadmoor?

MAR: Because, after the incident, I have depression, why I go have hunger strike, I have problems, I don’t know in English… post traumatic stress disorder. He told me I have this one. He put me there with very, very criminal people, very, very mad people there… it’s a very dangerous hospital.

MB: Yes, it’s well known.

MAR: Too many people attacked me there, too many prisoners. Like one day, in 2004, the European Commissioner for Human Rights, he visited me in Canterbury, in Branbury Ward in Broadmoor hospital. I stay with these people for one hour, I complain of all the treatment, I complain of the Home Office, why with no charge? Why put me with these criminal people? I don’t kill anybody, I don’t do anything wrong, I don’t do any fire, I didn’t kill anything. These people in Broadmoor, he eat mind, some people they kill him and eat his mind, some people he put a fire for children, you’re with these people. This day, the European Human Rights Commissioner visits me, from Sweden and different European countries and he talked to me. He told me, ‘Okay, I will give you a break for ten minutes. Can I go and see your cell?’ ‘Okay, go with me’. This time, 12 o’clock, we have lunch time all the prisoners in Broadmoor, in lunch place, the dining room. I go walk with him, this prisoner coming, this English guy coming. Quickly, he attacked me in my face, and these people, walking with me. He punched me in my face and I have bruise and the blood coming everywhere. And he put me on the floor. This officer, the nurse, he put the prisoner on the floor, he put him in the seclusion unit. Too many times with other guys, assault me. And he bring the doctor and he checked me, he give me painkiller, and he cleaned. Nothing. This day, the people from Sweden, he crying. I see him, and he’s scared. The man he attacked me, because I’m very small, and he fight with me, and he is a very big guy. And he attacked me before too many times. And I complain, he didn’t move me, he leave me staying with him. The same place, like I see this guy every day, ten or fifteen hours; it’s not safety, I can’t sleep there.

MB: Subhan Allah. And he’s in the same room as you?

MAR: No, the room is open. The room is open; he can easily come in my room. And he attacked too many, not just me, he attacked too many people, every day. These people, the European Human Rights Commissioner, he see this, he crying. He told to me, I find all of your complaints are true. I see in my face evidence. And this day he moved me to another ward, quiet, more quiet, but still the problems the same.

MB: SubhanAllah. And how long did you remain in Broadmoor for?

MAR: I stayed there three years. And very bad; maybe you have more association, more exercise, more something, but you stay with very bad people, very, very dangerous people.

MB: Convicted of criminality, criminally insane people.

MAR: Yes, yes. Like my neighbour, from Wales... He killed five, six children.

MB: Ian Brady I think.

MAR: Too many. And a woman…

MB: Myra Hindley.

MAR: The newspapers mention all the time, too many people… oh my God. I was there with this people. I don’t like telling people I am in Broadmoor.

MB: Because they think Broadmoor means that you are criminally insane.

MAR: One day, Broadmoor hospital, he sent a letter for my wife, for something, for a visit, and the letter he goes for my neighbour’s box. Quickly, the neighbour came to my house and said ok, why your husband is in Broadmoor? I thought your husband is very good, he’s my neighbour for a long time. My wife, she can’t talk.

MB: I think some people can’t actually believe that this type of thing is actually happening in England. Maybe they can believe it happens in a third world country but when it happens in England, people go into denial, they can’t believe it.

MAR: I know too many people in Broadmoor, they go after me, too many people who go, maybe like, six, seven, Muslims now. He go Broadmoor.

MB: In your past, you spent some time in Israeli prisons. Might you give us a comparison between British prisons and Israeli prisons?

MAR: The same prison. Maybe in Israel, still you mix, you have Palestinians with you. It is not single cell.

MB: You don’t have to worry about other prisoners attacking you.

MAR: No. The officer and the Israeli army. Maybe there, I stay with the other people, my country, my friend, I know him, Palestinian people, he is fighting for a free country – the same. Here, no, different here, you have everything: racism, discrimination…

MB: They decided through these Special Immigration Appeals Courts, the SIAC court, they decided your case in there so it’s a secretive place. Could you tell me a little about your experience, what do you know SIAC? What does SIAC mean to you?

MAR: Like, I don’t know for SIAC anything. I know SIAC court, Special Immigration Appeals Court. I’ve been there too many times. This is like army court. I believe it is court. The government he does this. The juror, the judge, is not free. And I don’t have jury, just judge. And not free - the Home Office, he put this guy. And this very bad judge. Some people are very bad.

MB: And he is not going to represent any of your case.

MAR: No, You have secret sessions, secret case. Me and my lawyer, and everybody, does not know what I’ve done. He can’t go inside this.

MB: Again this is just like Guantanamo; they have secret courts where they make a decision, secret evidence that we can’t show you, and this secret evidence is the reason why we’re holding you, but we can’t tell you that reason.

MAR: This is the problem, secret. And I think all the time, this is torture for me - I think what I’ve done? What’s inside, the secret? Why you put me? I believe these people they’ve damaged my mind, my body, I go like problems I have with mental, and he damaged my family, my children. This court he told secret sessions, this MI5, MI6 and Scotland Yard he told this. I believe every time, these people, he damaged me, he damaged already Iraq, he damaged countries, killed a million people in Iraq, one million, and how many people injured, and how many people are refugees, what’s going on Iraq every day, and he told Iraq very good, all the reason he go Iraq, nothing, it’s not the truth, Iraq doesn’t have anything. And he’s fighting the terrorists, for the same reason, MI5, MI6, Scotland Yard, CIA, FBI all…

MB: Yes, if they can invade countries based upon torturing people like Ibn Al Shaykh (Al Libi) from who they said they got good evidence, then what’s an ordinary person like you or me. I think another reason why they kind of kept you in secret is because you were helping those to set up a school, a girl’s school in Kabul, and that of course is a big crime to do. It’s the same crime that I was involved in committing.

Eventually, after all of this, three years of terrible time, in Britain’s worse, or the place where the worst criminally insane people are held in the United Kingdom, you were eventually released in 2005 under a control order. What were the circumstances of your release?

MAR: It was not really release, they release you with something like, the 2001 Terrorism Act finished and he put you under other 2005 control order. This is the same. You go 7 to 7. You have 12 hours inside the house. You don’t have visitors.

MB: After three and a half years of injustice, after the House of Lords ruled that your detention was illegal, even after all of this, you didn’t come home to a big welcome party and everybody saying to you, finally, there’s been a great miscarriage of justice and that you can now come home and you will be compensated for all of this time that you’ve spent in prison. In fact, you come home and they put restrictions on you that they’ve never put on anybody in this country before you. Can you describe a little bit, some of those restrictions?

MAR: He’s change the control order about ten times, every 6-7 months, one year, he changes the control order for you. Like you have curfew, 7 to 7; if I want to go outside my house, 7 o’clock in the morning ‘til 7 o’clock in the afternoon. And this time not allowed internet inside my house, outside my house. Not allowed mobile phone, inside my house, outside my house. Not allowed SIM card, not allowed digital camera, not allowed video camera, not allowed USB, not allowed play station - too many, like not allowed, not allowed.

MB: This law, they know you are a family man who has seven children ma sha’Allah, that once you go home, the children who could have had these things before you came home now, when the father returns, you can’t have these things; so they’re punishing the children because the father has come home.

MAR: Yes.

MB: So the children then have to associate losing all of these things because of the father coming home.

MAR: Yes.

MB: So the punishment is not just on you but on your children, who are completely innocent – even though you are innocent – but the children have an innocence at a level that’s unmatched. This is one of the things that people do not understand about control orders that it doesn’t simply apply to an individual, it affects the whole of the family. How have your family reacted to these laws? How do they go to school, do their homework properly, when they need the internet? What do they do?

MAR: This is torture for my family, and he punishes my family the same way he punishes me. Too many problems, like my children he can’t go outside of the house after 7 o’clock. I have three girls, very big now, aged 14, 13, 12 and three boys. Maybe I want to visit anybody, I want to go with my children, maybe someone wants to visit me, the adults, with the dad and the mum coming, I’m not allowed. The internet - my daughter, she has secondary school - every day the teacher asks her homework, home work, homework, go on the internet. For something else, like my daughter she asked me before, four or five weeks, she’s been asking me for help with something, Shakespeare, and she asked me. And I don’t have any book with this Shakespeare and my daughter wants to go on the internet, outside of the house, go to library, internet café, she’s 14. She takes USB or something into the house then Home Office come the next day told me, you are not allowed USB. What does USB mean? My wife and children need education. He punished the children and he punished my family. It’s torture. My children told me, not allowed video camera, not allowed, not allowed. It’s like Gaza Strip. My children, he told the Home Office many times, just cut the electricity and the water. He goes the same as Gaza Strip. I am from Gaza strip, the Israelis did for the Muslims, he cut everything. Now I believe he has done the same, the same game. My children, every time they tell the Home Office, why don’t you cut the water and the electricity and we stay like Gaza Strip? It’s even better than in Britain. My children are British - they are born here, all my children, he born here. He has British passport, he’s born here. What will they do for these people after they have grown up? They don’t like the police, they don’t like any police people coming to my house, every four, five, six days. Like I remember last night he was coming in my house and the police coming, he search all my house; he search my wife’s clothes, my daughter’s clothes, my children’s clothes. I want to ask Tony Blair, no, Gordon Brown, the Home Secretary, and the ministers in this country, I want to ask anybody, he be happy with the Home Office, anyone goes and checks your wife’s clothes and your clothes? And he comes and checks everything in my house. Maybe he will find a bomb or something. How many times he’s checked? Nothing. Just he takes my money.

MB: They took your money away?

MAR: He take my money last year. I put safety, some money for my children and my wife who want to go Jordan. My children, after all the problems he’s stayed with the control order for two and a half years, he can’t carry on, too many problems, I have too many problems with my wife, with my children, all the time; I’m told this is your problem, my problem, your problem, what’s good for you, go back to prison, go in another flat, I want to go to education. My children want to go for education, want to use the internet. I am angry in the house; now I’m in wheelchair, I have back pain, I can’t go out unless somebody helps me and I want to take children with me, and all the time I stay in the house, angry, with children with my wife. Afterwards, my wife, she go leave the country. I was not happy, she want to leave the country, she go Jordan, my wife. Before she goes to Jordan, one week, my wife, she brings £4500 from my wife’s account, from her benefits. She saved some money, they want to go to Jordan. Then five six days before, they searched my house and he take all the cash from my house. For me, I don’t allowed to go work. I don’t allowed to search anything in the post, I don’t allowed to go post office. I’m not allowed to go Heathrow or any train, any airport, any exit you have international, train, any ferry…

MB: Any port of entry.

MAR: The border, any place I want to leave the country, any place you have international. I am not allowed too many. Not allowed bank account. For me I don’t have bank account. I want to - still sometimes I sell honey, very cheap, where do I want to put the money? I want to put the money in my house because I don’t allow bank account. What do I do with my money? I have to give it the Home office.

MB: Deposit it with 10 Downing Street.

MAR: Yes. They take my cash, my wife’s money. And the children they believe this police is a thief. He go to Iraq, he take the oil, and he’s killed people there and he’s coming in my house, he takes my cash. And I have two brothers in Palestine, he died, I helped him. Now he damaged all the family, my children, he’s gone like this. He’s born like this, all the time problem, and my children, he don’t like this country now. And he thought something for this country very dangerous. Maybe you didn’t torture, but if you treat someone of any origin like me, Muslims in this country, how are you going to go? You are going to go very dangerous, and especially for my children all the time thinking bad for the police, for this country, after he grows up and done something, are you going to say he is a terrorist? He’s not a terrorist, you treat people like this?

MB: It’s strange because they talk about young Muslims getting radicalised and always question why, why’s it happening. They are blind to the reality. Subhan Allah, it’s unbelievable. You recently have now been put into a wheel chair, you cannot walk properly. There are restrictions regardless of the wheelchair that you can’t even be supported, you can’t even be helped by somebody who’s helping you to push the wheelchair, to come to your house?

MAR: Nobody, he is not allowed to put me inside my house. The Home Office said this.

MB: If someone actually wheeled you into your house that person could get arrested?

MAR: Yes. I have a letter from the Home Office, anybody who wants to put me inside my house with the wheelchair, he is put in prison.

MB: And they’ll put you in prison too?

MAR: Yes, me too. And my wife she goes to Jordan last year and I don’t have bank account and my benefit is in my wife’s account. I’m not allowed to take any cash in my account and any body who wants to help me, who wants to take money for me, just money that I want to use for food, for my life, he arrest this guy.

MB: Somebody can’t even give you charity money.

MAR: No, not allowed.

MB: Otherwise they will be arrested.

MAR: Yes. Not allowed. Anyone give me money, it’s not allowed. He check me every time, the police come, he check, he search me. If he find with me more than £100, he take it.

MB: You also were given a tag to wear before, that tag has now been removed, the security tag. How long did you have to wear the tag for?

MAR: I stayed with the tag for four weeks and then the doctor and the Home Office, he will be worried and scared and escape and he don’t talk to me, I believed this tag he has, he listened to my talk, he knows where I go.

MB: You were also subjected to making voice recognition phone calls as was featured in the documentary made by Phil Rees, in which you had to make phone calls continuously.

MAR: Now, I have phone calls, like I have phone calls, one 10:15pm at night, and 6:15am, 6:45am. Every morning and every night. I have one 2 o’clock, 12 o’clock every day. Three phone calls. I want to phone the company, the monitor, I have to give them my voice, every day three times. Sometimes the machine doesn’t work. I stay half an hour, one hour, Last time I said to the manager, in charge, I waited one hour, maybe one hour, two hours, keep trying. It’s hard for me, at 6 o’clock, 6:15pm, my bed time is now 4 o’clock in the morning. And I go down to 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock in the morning and I went to sleep, what time I went to sleep, and I have sleeping tablets for depression. I went to sleep at night 11 o’clock, 12 o’clock I woke up for my prayer time, it’s important. I want to wake up again, more important, for the phone call. And sometimes I didn’t phone, the police come quickly to my house.

MB: So if the phone call is not received on the other side, they will come straight away.

MAR: Straight away.

MB: They will arrest you? Or what will they do?

MAR: Sometimes they arrest me. Sometimes they talk to me, why you didn’t give a reason, why you didn’t phone the company. Sometimes I’m in the house but I forgot. The same thing, the same they give you time, but I forgot. Like, I can’t carry on with this. The police, they know I am in a wheelchair. Police say to me go sign, and I have back pain, I have problem - and where do you want me to go sign? Fulham police station. I don’t like going there. To die is better to me (than) I go to police station. Better I kill myself than I go to the police station. I told the truth. I am Muslim, yes, I know, I can’t carry on like this. People they think the Muslim say you kill yourself, you go jahanam, you go hellfire. I want to put somebody, like me, put him, one week, two, three weeks, see what happen in Palestine. He don’t be with the problems. He woke up every day, every morning. What I done? I woke up for the Home Office. How many people I kill? What wrong I done? Every day – it’s torture. I went to sleep, at night, I put the phone, the alarm for 6am in my house, and my children woke me up, 1 o’clock, there’s been a phone call. My phone call is 6 o’clock and he didn’t have watch and my children woke me up, my children, he can’t sleep. He had dream of the police, all of the children woke up in the morning, they thought I dreamed, all the domain police and Scotland Yard they are coming in my house. He gives the name to children, and all the time, the children, he talk for the police, for Scotland Yard, all the time he talk, all the time, all the talk in the house for these people. I don’t know what’s with the police? Do they think it’s good for Muslims? Good for my children? My children, I don’t know, the Home Office, this country, and the Americans have spend a million pounds for the media, it’s not racist country, and Britain good country, free country and the Americans the same. Maybe you spend every day a million. This is nothing. Just I speak to people in the mosque that I have, it’s enough, for a thousand people. My children, they’re big people, the school, everybody, it’s enough. And people outside, especially Muslims, he believe what I talk, he doesn’t believe the Home Office, he knows the Home Office he killed people in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Somalia, in Chechnya, every day for no reason, for nothing. And see in Gaza Strip what happened. All my problems before – why? The British, they give my country for the Jews. Now they tell the Jewish you have problems with land, and the same, I believe, Muslims, the same, as Jewish before, he treat him the same way. He treats Muslims everywhere, I don’t know, like. Before in this country he treats the Irish people, the black people, the same dog, the same dog, the same animal. Now, everywhere, the Muslims are like this. The animals are better than Muslims in this country.

MB: That’s true because if anybody treated an animal the way that they’d treated you in prison, they would be brought up for charges by the RSPCA.

MAR: Wallahil-‘adheem, one day, I’ve been in Belmarsh at night. I have problem I can’t sleep and I need tablets to go to sleep and he don’t give me tablets. And this time I have hunger strike. And all my body is shaking and all my face blue as I haven’t eaten for four months. And the governor bring the dog inside my room, wallahil-‘adheem, and he told me, look, I leave the biscuit with you. I remember this. This one time, one time, he put, and wallahil-‘adheem, this is true, this is in 2007, I been in Belmarsh, three months I go, somebody same my case, they said he had deportation in Jordan, Mr Mohammad Al Rifa’ee. And this day I stayed in the wing with six people, and the Home Office they want to move this guy at night to a single cell and he moved him already, but he wanted to take the stuff for this guy. He had book and shoes and clothes. I see the officer. He put five, four shoes, after he put the Quran. Wallahil adheem I saw this. I told him officer, I’m in a wheelchair, I was staying in the bed, I said why did you put my Qur’an inside the bag in a plastic bag - you see everything, white one, I said why did you put the shoes with the Qur’an. He said, no this is not allowed to touch the Qur’an (for the) officer. He said, no, it’s allowed, but with shoes, the law told me it’s not allowed to touch the Qur’an with my hand, I want to put gloves. I said what teach you this? This is my Qur’an, take the Qur’an out. But he didn’t listen.

MB: So he just left it with the shoes?

MAR: Yes, how many incidents with the Quran? Guantanamo, everywhere. The same. This people don’t like the Qur’an, don’t like the Muslims. It’s not a free country, just free for… and Jews, it’s not free for Muslims.

MB: Subhan Allah, it’s really terrible to hear this in this country. Unbelievable. You were recently blessed with a son masha’Allah, with a child. What difficulties were there for you, with the control order, in having to go through the process of having a child?

MAR: My wife have a new baby and before I told the Home Office, my wife she is delivering, baby is coming into the house. The Home Office, he’s angry, he don’t want anybody coming in the house. And he want the name of the doctor and the midwife. After he agreed to go to the hospital with my wife, just one time, with my lawyer. I go with my lawyer in the hospital one time. After, my wife, she had baby and nobody visit my house. Still to now, the baby now is three months old, nobody visit my house. Every one, he has baby, he is married, he has something, and people visit him, he gives him presents, talks to him, something… and my children, he’s like bored people. How many Eid coming, and Christmas time, and Eid time is coming? How may times my wife goes to Jordan and comes back? Nobody visits him, and like this. I don’t know, how many Eids coming and nobody knocked on the door or coming inside my house, how many years?

MB: Because nobody is allowed to come to your house.

MAR: Not allowed, nobody visits my house. And it’s torture. The children say, why this, why this, why this - every time, every time.

MB: Before all of this you used to be a social person, you used to have many people.

MAR: I have friends before, I like people visit me. This is not my country. The Muslims here, my friends, my family, I don’t have any family in this country. I don’t know, the Home Office are happy with this, they torture, these people. What’s going to happen to my children when they grow up? The children are thinking very dangerous, all the time. Last time, maybe two months ago, Scotland Yard coming into my house, and the children he asked the officer too many questions and the officer didn’t give any answer. He was just saying, Calm down, calm down, calm down. And the children ask why do you put my dad under a control order? Why put my dad in prison? Why, why, why, why? Too many. Why you push my dad in prison and he have back pain now? You broken back, my dad. Why, why this? And no answer. Just ‘calm down, calm down, calm down.’ Nothing coming. I don’t know what type of information you are growing up, I don’t know what will happen. Maybe he will put my children before he grown up under a control order. It’s suffering for my children. He has control order but everyone thinks we will give them tag on their legs, and it is better.



And like my wife - she’s coming to Jordan before four months. She’s coming to have the baby, she’s going to do the delivery and then she’s going to go back Jordan. And the Home Office in Heathrow terminal three, they take my wife’s passport, British passport. Still to now we don’t get my wife’s passport back. And 2002 Terrorism Act she take the passport, just one week and now I don’t know where’s my wife’s passport now.

MB: How long have they had it?

MAR: Now, four months. I don’t know where the passport is now. My wife she doesn’t have anything. She wants to go back to school, she can’t go back to Jordan, school and the children stay in the house whilst she pays money for a school in Jordan like al-Ittihad, private school. They want to go back and she can’t go back. The children can easily go back but my wife she can’t just send the children, to get somebody to just look after my children. And she got British passport, they take it, and I don’t know where the passport is now. Everyone told me, with Scotland Yard. Scotland Yard told me, it’s not with me, MI5. MI5 said it’s with the police. Everyone give me a different name. And I don’t know where the passport is now. And you have election I think coming in London, and they are saying to vote for Ken Livingstone, and my wife - she can’t, she don’t have passport. I don’t know, these people, they take my wife’s passport. I don’t know what’s the answer.

Like now, I went to see these people, the Home Office, never I see him. I want to speak to him, why you put me this, why, why? Nothing. And I ask the Home Office, I want to leave the country, I told them in Arabic something. Yesterday, before today, I want to leave the country, I don’t want to stay in the country one hour. I don’t like this country, I want to go to any country. Maybe I go Guantanamo, better than here. Maybe I go Syria, I go Jordan, I go Israel, better than this country. It’s enough for me this country. In other country, I go torture, six, seven months, a year, and then he leave me alone. This country now, seven years. How? Too much for me, thinking. It’s enough for me. It’s enough for my family. Everything is not allowed, everything is not allowed. Please cut the electricity in my house, and the water.

MB: I remember once you mentioned that you bumped into Jack Straw in the street. Could you describe what that incident was about?

MAR: In 2005, after he released me from prison, maybe six seven months, maybe more, I released Fulham. I go cafe shop in Northern Road, Milad Café. I go there with a friend I drink café outside and I see Jack Straw in front of us he’s still in charge of the Foreign Office. I see him he got outside and he have car, he drives the car, and I’m on Northern Road in Fulham and he’s Jack Straw. He doesn’t have anybody with him, no security, no guard, no police, nothing. And I see him and I said to my friend, ‘leave me. I want to go speak to Jack Straw’. Quickly I go to Jack Straw in the market, you have too many people, marketers, and you have election 2005. I said, ‘Jack Straw, please can I talk to you?’ He said ‘Ok’. I said, ‘Do you know me?’ He said, ‘No, I don’t know you. I told him, ‘I am Mahmoud Abu Rideh. I have control order. I have been in prison 2001’. ‘Oh yes, I remember your name, what happened, what can I do to help?’ ‘I’m not a dangerous man. I am not with Al Qaida or anybody. I am a normal man. See me, I don’t have tag now, the Home Office, the Judge and SIAC they take the tag but still I have curfew, I have control order. Look, I am not a dangerous man. I have not done anything in this country wrong. I don’t want to kill anybody I don’t want to bomb anybody I don’t want this’. He told me, ‘Okay’, he gave me his card, business card, ‘send everything to my office. I know I believe you, you are not a dangerous man’. I said, if I am a dangerous man and nobody is with me, easily I attack him. But I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t do anything to him.

After one hour, I leave him and I go drink one café again with my friend. I go back home. After one hour, not ten, five minutes, one hour I go my house and I have car, I drive my car and I come back Northern Road and still Jack Straw in the street. He didn’t escape, he didn’t leave the place, he didn’t leave Fulham, and I go to speak to him again. I said look I told Jack Straw I want to speak to you something. You’ve damaged already Iraq, you’ve killed too many people in Iraq, don’t go Iran again, enough. Maybe I am a dangerous man, easily I bring the knife and I kill you if I am some dangerous man and this would be big for al Qaida. I told Jack Straw I meet you in the street twice in one hour, after one hour I meet you again, and speak to you again, and nobody just me and you, just I talk to you and you have CCTV camera, maybe you have camera of some journalist with him, one journalist he follow him. I don’t done anything. I speak to him like this Maybe I am a dangerous man, easily I kill you. Easily, I use my hand, easily I go bring knife, easy. You have too many halal shop in the street, but never I think like this. I do not want to kill people. I’m not with Al Qaida, I’m not dangerous. Maybe if I had done something it would have been big for al Qaida, it would be very big, this is Jack Straw; he’s Jewish; he go Iraq, he killed hundred, a million people in Iraq, this guy - but it’s not my business. I don’t want anything with him, it’s not my business. And I tell him like this and nothing.

MB: What did he say?

MAR: He laughed. I tell him, I’m not a dangerous man and he’s not scared, he’s not threatened, and he’s not worried. And he smiled and goes home.

MB: He wasn’t worried that this man who has been in prison for nearly three and a half years and he had such dangerous control orders on him and he’s such a dangerous man, and yet Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary of this country, was not afraid of him.

MAR: I tell him like this, I see you all the time, I see you on the news in prison. I’ve been in Belmarsh and Broadmoor, all this time, “These dangerous people, I can’t leave them out for one hour”, like me and Abu Qatada and too many people, very dangerous to go out on the street, it’s not safety. Before he changed 2001 Terrorism Act to 2005 control order, he said you can’t leave these people one hour in the street. I told Jack Straw, the government, you’re lying, you’re not telling the truth. It’s not me that is dangerous. I’m not a terrorist. I’ve been outside now long time, what I done? I’ve been in the House of Lords, three times.

MB: You’ve been inside the House of Lords?

MAR: I’ve been to Parliament 2006 and 2007. I go myself, I go in the queue. I go inside the House of Commons. I see you have meeting, he’s talking for hospitals or something, and I’ve been there. No one stopped me, nobody know me. And second time, I go meeting Lord Ahmed. Nobody stopped me. He searched me normal search, nothing.

MB: Speaking of Lord Ahmed, can you tell me what sort of support have you received from the Muslim community in this country? Have you had much support from the Muslim community?

MAR: After my wife, she had baby, you have like Cageprisoners, she’s helping me and my wife, the Muslims, and Hhugs, he’s good, he’s helping me and my wife, and he’s cooking one food, one month, he’s bringing the food to my house. I thank these people and it’s good for the Muslims, they’ve got all together one hand, and Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Alameen, thank you for all these people, and jazakum Allahu khair for all these people helping me.

MB: As far as the British public are concerned, the English people, have any of these people supporting you at all?

MAR: Some of the English people, they are helping me, they work with Cageprisoners, with Hhugs, Adrianne and Ann Alexander from Scotland and Victoria, and too many names. Too many people, he help me, he phoning me. It’s enough for him to phone me and telling me do you want anything. Thank you to all these Muslims and these English people.

MB: Finally, before we end, is there any message you would like to give to people who will be listening to this interview? Many people will like to listen to your story.

MAR: I want to tell Muslims, especially Muslims, maybe you don’t go and help these people who have been in prison, he been with control order and he have problems - the problem is coming for you, after. All the Muslims I believe, he will go after a few years on control orders, he will be put in prison for nothing, I believe this.

MB: So if the Muslims don’t stand up now for you people then when in future it happens to them they will have nobody to blame but themselves.

MAR: Yes, I believe this. It will be more dangerous for Muslims everywhere. I believe this fighting now with the Muslims is a crusade fighting, I believe this. The Home Office said no, and Scotland Yard, the government here, and Gordon Brown and Bush and everyone – but no, the Muslims believe the fighting of the Muslims is a crusade fighting. Now he didn’t fight the Communists, he didn’t fight the Russians; now he fights the Muslims and everyone he agree with this. Chinese, India, Britain, England, America, Germany, and the Middle East, all the people he like. He fight the terrorists and he make the terrorists.

MB: They say it’s a ‘War on Terror’ but it’s not because in Guantanamo and in other prisons around the world, you don’t see other prisoners, non-Muslim terrorist organisations but you only see people who are Muslim. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make it easy for all the prisoners and release them. Jazak Allahu khaira for your words and in sha’Allah I pray Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala makes everything better for you.

MAR: Jazak Allahu khaira, thank you.