Support Abdel Zahali's fight for compensation
No Borders | 21.02.2012 13:09 | Migration
After building a life for 18 years in the UK Abdel Zahali is now being deported because the last of his claims for asylum have been denied. Abdel is claiming compensation of £50,000 for illegal detention over for 11 months.
Abdel arrived in Britain on the back of a lorry in 1994 from Algeria fleeing oppression in that country, he has repeatedly lost appeals to stay in the country
Abdel Zahali, 53, was jailed after threatening to set himself on fire in front of an MP and was held for 11 months at the end of his sentence under Home Office rules. Now he is suing the Home Secretary claiming that holding him after his prison term breached his human rights because of the effect it had on his mental health.
Abdel threatened to torch himself in front of Labour MP Louise Ellman and is now suing Home Secretary Theresa May for £50,000. After arriving in Britain on the back of a lorry in 1994, Zahali has fought to stay in the country but lost a succession of appeals.
He went on hunger strike while being held at HMP Liverpool.
After he had completed his sentence he remained at the jail, detained under home office rules. He was then transferred him to Colnbrook Immigration Removals Centre in June 2010. He was put under hourly observations because of a suicide risk, and then moved to the vulnerable prisoners unit where he tried to hang himself.
He was eventually given immigration bail in January 2011 after a psychiatrist said he was depressed and was having suicidal thoughts.
Abdel claims the Home Secretary failed to follow Home Office guidelines when detaining him. He lives in Edgware, London and we argue he has been falsely imprisoned, and he should only have been detained in very exceptional circumstances. We claims that he was subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment - because being detained made his depression worse.
His solicitors have filed a writ at the High Court and he is demanding up to £50,000 in damages.
Please write to the Home Secretary and tell her of your support for asylum seekers.
www.tmay.co.uk/contact
Rt Hon Theresa May MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 5206
Fax: 020 7219 1145
mayt@parliament.uk
Abdel Zahali, 53, was jailed after threatening to set himself on fire in front of an MP and was held for 11 months at the end of his sentence under Home Office rules. Now he is suing the Home Secretary claiming that holding him after his prison term breached his human rights because of the effect it had on his mental health.
Abdel threatened to torch himself in front of Labour MP Louise Ellman and is now suing Home Secretary Theresa May for £50,000. After arriving in Britain on the back of a lorry in 1994, Zahali has fought to stay in the country but lost a succession of appeals.
He went on hunger strike while being held at HMP Liverpool.
After he had completed his sentence he remained at the jail, detained under home office rules. He was then transferred him to Colnbrook Immigration Removals Centre in June 2010. He was put under hourly observations because of a suicide risk, and then moved to the vulnerable prisoners unit where he tried to hang himself.
He was eventually given immigration bail in January 2011 after a psychiatrist said he was depressed and was having suicidal thoughts.
Abdel claims the Home Secretary failed to follow Home Office guidelines when detaining him. He lives in Edgware, London and we argue he has been falsely imprisoned, and he should only have been detained in very exceptional circumstances. We claims that he was subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment - because being detained made his depression worse.
His solicitors have filed a writ at the High Court and he is demanding up to £50,000 in damages.
Please write to the Home Secretary and tell her of your support for asylum seekers.
www.tmay.co.uk/contact
Rt Hon Theresa May MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 5206
Fax: 020 7219 1145
mayt@parliament.uk
No Borders