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Satpal Ram: As it happened in 2001 Posted Monday 10th December Satpal on the Move Again Satpal arrived this pm at HMP Blantyre House, This is his 71st move and the 36th different prison, (average prison moves for a lifer 6) Further to our recent request for cyber action in protest
against the CCRC, we would like to thank every one for the great response
and letters that we have received back. All of these letters were sent on to Satpal and served
to really lift his spirits. On behalf of Satpal we would like to convey
heart felt thanks and can only hope that the CCRC will now take steps
towards ending this blatant injustice. *HMP Blantyre House * HMP Blantyre House is
an adult male category 'C/D' resettlement prison. The buildings themselves
are located in a country house which was taken over by the Prison Commission
in 1954, having previously operated as a Fegan Home. It was a Detention
Centre for young offenders before converting to a resettlement prison
for long term prisoners. You can write to Satpal direct or email him, all emails
received are then snail-mailed, please remember if emailing to include
your town and country. Posted Tuesday 6th November 2001 Cyber Protest Monday 12th to Friday 16th November 2001 November 16th 2001, starts Satpal's 16th year of wrongful imprisonment. Free Satpal Ram Dear friends, At the end of September the CCRC provisionally rejected Satpal's legal team's submission. Despite overwhelming evidence that supports his claim of self-defence, he has been consistently denied any form of redress, despite the CCRC having sat on his case since December 1997 when Satpal first made representation to them. In their provisional decision, the CCRC accepted that Satpal was the victim of a prolonged, vicious, racial attack but actually believed that it was wrong of him to defend himself. We are extremely concerned that Satpal Ram has been wrongly convicted, that he continues to be locked up, past his due release date (5 years ago) and that he was even locked up in the first place. Please join us over an international week of protest by writing/faxing/e-mailing/phoning to the CCRC using the model letter below (but in your own words, if possible), and telling as many friends and family as possible to spread the message as far as you can. He was back in segregation at HMP Blakenhurst and when we went to visit him last week he looked like a skeleton. We discovered that he has been living literally on 4 pieces of bread a day and continues to do so. He is vexed that he continues to wait for the CCRC, especially as he was recommended for immediate release by the parole board in October 2000. November 16th 2001, starts Satpal's 16th year of wrongful imprisonment. Please fax/e-mai/write protest letters from Monday 12th - 16th November. Please also demand an explanation and write back to them to protest again. Please also copy letters to us. Thank you for your continued support. Any protest letters/e-mails/faxes to: Frederick Crawford, Chairperson Tel: 0121 633 1800 from outside the
UK + 44 121 633 1800 Email: The Chairman Frederick Crawford: chairman@ccrc.gov.uk Model letter: Copy, emend, write your own ============================= Criminal Cases Review Commission Dear Mr. Crawford, I‚m writing to express my concern at the continued imprisonment of Satpal Ram who has now been inside for 15 years. Despite overwhelming evidence that supports his claim of self-defence, he has been consistently denied any form of redress. From the evidence that I have seen it is clearly apparent that Mr. Ram remains in prison today due to the endemic racism that exists within our criminal justice system. Had he not acted, he would be dead today, another victim of Racist Britain. I am extremely concerned by the sheer lack of activity demonstrated in this case ˆ you have been investigating this case since October 1997 ˆ for four years, and as a concerned individual I would like to add my voice to the growing number of people who feel that the system has failed Mr. Ram at every level. In your provisional decision you accepted that Mr. Ram was the victim of a racially motivated attack, yet you actually believe that it was wrong for him to defend himself? Far from being an independent body, it becomes painfully obvious that commissioners follow the wishes of the state, which is to keep him inside regardless of his guilt. Indeed many cases that do finally get referred (like Derek Bentley, Mahmood Hussein Mattan, Paddy Nicholls) are only done so when police, lawyers, judges, government ministers and/or pathologists responsible for wrongful convictions are dead. We urge you to reconsider your provisional decision not to refer this case to the Court of Appeal. This clearly amounts to a denial of natural justice. Justice delayed is justice denied. Yours Sincerely Name: Address:
Country: ======================================= Please copy anything you send to ‘Free Satpal Campaign’, do remember to include your name and country as anything you send will be forwarded to Satpal. Messages of Solidarity to same. E-mail: SatpalRam@satpalram.connectfree.uk.com Fax: 0870 055 4570 from outside the UK + 44 Fax 870-055-4570 You can write direct to Satpal: Satpal Ram Posted Thursday 20th September The prisoner: Simon Hattenstone, The Guardian, Wednesday September 19 2001 Posted Monday 9th September Satpal Ram: Double blow Press Release - Monday September 9th 2001 Home Secretary refuses to uphold Parole Board decision to release Satpal Ram. Background In 1986 Satpal Ram was racially attacked in an Indian Restaurant. In the course of Satpal defending himself his attacker died. In 1987 Satpal was convicted of murder without being given the opportunity to defend himself in court. During these fifteen years of his incarceration he has been moved continuously, seventy times, to various high security prisons. Parole: In December 1999 Satpal began another lengthy parole process. On the 27th October 2000 the Parole Board gave an unprecedented recommendation supporting the immediate release of Satpal Ram. They also said that in recommending his release that he did not need testing‚ in open conditions but should be immediately released. They took into account the exceptional nature and quality of the support network available to him, who have an intimate knowledge of his circumstances and the pressures that he will face on release and who have expressed commitment towards him. However: This recommendation arrived at the Home Office in October 2000. The then Home Secretary Jack Straw, sat on it till January 16th 2001, and then sent it back to the Parole Board seeking clarification‚ on such a positive decision. The Parole Board wrote back stating very, very clearly that they stood by their decision and in the absence of new information had no power to review their decision. In an unprecedented move Jack Straw, rejected this recommendation. But Satpal and his legal team were only informed of this decision on May 10th 2001 - seven months later. Instead, Paul Boateng the then Prison Minister made the absurd decision that Satpal Ram should undergo an accelerated decatogorisation timetable, that can only be rationalized by political purposes rather than any justifiable social objectives. Gareth Pierce, Satpal's Solicitor, lodged a challenge at the High Court on August 10th 2001 against the Home Office decision to refuse Satpal's immediate release. A week ago after he was finally decategorised and moved to open prison, a curious, alleged 'incident' took place on the day when he was trying to telephone to the hospital where his mother was dying, with the result that Satpal was immediately transported to a high security prison - without adjudication on this allegation. Despite strong medical evidence from his mother's doctors that she was close to death, the Prison Governor refused to allow Satpal to visit her without handcuffs despite the fact that he has had eight home visits without handcuffs in the last two months. Sadly, Satpal's mother died on the 7th September without him at her side. We demand that Satpal be immediately released in accordance with the Parole Board's recommendations. ========================================== Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) Decision Last week, after the CCRC had delayed almost a year giving their decision, they finally gave a provisional decision. The CCRC have provisionally rejected Satpal's legal team's submission. Satpal, his family and campaign supporters are joined by a massive, informed opinion that the original trial was totally flawed and riddled with every form of institutional racism. Satpal suffered an unprovoked racist attack. Self-defense is no offence. The view of the CCRC is provisional only and everyone concerned is confident that the final decision must be in accordance with justice and truth, leading to a referral of the case to the Court of Appeal. =================== The Struggle Continues Despite the continuing inhumane treatment at the hands of the government and judiciary, Satpal remains strong. The struggle to prove his innocence will continue as the campaign's pressure increases, both nationally and internationally. Self Defence Is No Offence! Free Satpal Ram! Messages of support to Satpal Ram For further information and to contact the campaign: Free Satpal Campaign Po Box 30091 Posted Tuesday 4th September Satpal has been moved again this time To HMP Blakenhurst HMP Blakenhurst Posted Sunday, 2nd September 2001 Satpal has been moved again this time back to a Cat B prison. HMP Birmingham Posted Friday 17th August Satpal has been moved again this time to an open prison. HMP Sudbury Posted Wednesday 16th May Satpal has been moved again this time to HMP Littlehay, a Cat C prison HMP Littlehey Posted Saturday 14th April 2001 Saturday evening 17.40hrs, Satapl rang from HMP Blakenhurst, to say screws had entered his cell for a routine spin and then jumped him and dragged him down to segregation. Said he has come to no harm, but pissed off as the
screws siezed all his phone cards. Posted Wednesday 28th March 2001 15 Years On……Two International Days of Action ……Free Satpal Ram To date, fifteen months after the Parole Review began, Satpal has not received a decision. He has been put back into a Category B prison. Satpal is calling for two ‘International Days of Action’ and would urgently ask you to support him by faxing, posting or e-mailing a version of a model letter (below ) to the Parole Board on Monday 2nd April and Tuesday 3rd April 2001. For those in the UK: Picket the Parole Board (Nearest Tube is Victoria) For everyone world wide: Monday 2nd April and Tuesday 3rd April Fax, phone, e-mail, (do all three if you can afford it). e.mail: info@paroleboard.gov.uk Ring the Chair of the Parole Board: ask him why the delay, when will Satpal will be released. Phone: 020-7217-5690 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5690 Parole Board members, ring any of following: ask them why the delay, when will Satpal will be released 020-7217-5266 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5266 020-7217-5045 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5045 020-7217-5260 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5260 020-7217-5136 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5136 020-7217-5724 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5724 020-7217-5879 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5879 Parole Board fax number Fax: 020-7217-5793 and 020-7217-5677 from outside the UK +44-20-7217-5793 and +44-20-7217-5677 =================================================== Model Letter: send as, copy, amend, write your own. =================================================== The Parole Board Prison Services Headquarters Abell House John Islip Street London SW1P 4LH Dear Parole Board Re Mr Satpal Ram (E94 164) I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the ongoing Parole Review of the case of Mr Satpal Ram. I understand that the review of Mr Ram’s case began in December 1999 and that nine months later Mr Ram himself was interviewed by the Parole Board (September 2000). In previous correspondence with yourself and with various Government officials, including the Prison Minister, Mr Paul Boateng MP, assurances were given that the ‘overall process would take between six and nine months’. To date, fifteen months after the Parole Review began, I am astonished that no decision has yet been communicated to Mr Satpal Ram’s regarding his continued imprisonment. You are, I am sure, well aware of the disturbing facts in this case and of the immense public interest from Parliamentarians, Religious and Community leaders as well as members of the public both from here in the UK and abroad in seeing Mr Ram’s continued imprisonment come to an end. May I re-iterate my view that Mr Ram having served his original recommended tariff of eleven years, and now in his fifteenth year of imprisonment, should be immediately released. You are also aware that Mr Ram continues to enjoy the strong support of family and friends and has both accommodation and employment awaiting him on his release. In addition to the many positive reports you have received regarding Mr Ram, I understand that a professional psychotherapeutic counsellor who has worked intensely with many ex-offenders has stated ‘that were Satpal Ram to be released tomorrow he would be of no risk to the public.’ In the light of increased public concern about the Prison Service and in particular institutionalised racism and its adverse effect on black prisoners within the criminal justice system, I am concerned at the apparent lethargy within the Parole Review Board in being able to communicate any decision on Mr Ram’s case. I hope that you are able to allay my concerns on this regard and announce that the Parole Review Board has recommended to the Home Office that Mr Satpal Ram should be immediately released. Yours sincerely Name Address Town Country ============================================ Satpal would appreciate a copy of anything you send to the parole board to him. Please remember to include your name and very important your country. E-mail: Satpal Ram Fax: 0870-055-4570 from outside the UK, +44-870-055-4570 Free Satpal Ram Campaign (London) P.O. Box 30091 London SE1 1WP Posted Tuesday afternoon, 6th March 2001 Satpal, said to let y'all know that after the keruffle last weekend at HMP Wellingborough, he has been moved back to HMP Blakenhurst a catargy B prison. He has not lost his cat C status and is on normal location. Said to ask y'all keep them letters coming
so: Posted Saturday morning 3rd March 2001, Last night, Satpal got 'Muftied' and is now in segregation again. The duty Governor at the prison claims that Satpal, assaulted a prison officer, though Satpal has not been charged, (this is a standard accusation). Will let you know more when Satpal can speak direct to me. (he got this info to me by shouting through the cell window to one of his friends in the exercise yard.) Will let y'all know if Satpal wants this actioned. Mean time, please ring as soon as you read this message, the duty Governor at HMP Wellingborouh and ask why, Satpal has been put into segregation and when he will be returned to normal regime. Ring 01933-224151, (from outside the UK +44-1933-224151,) when switchboard answers ask to speak to the Duty Governor. If phone line is busy then Fax: 01933 273903 from outside the UK =44-1933-273903 With following short message; Att: Dr Bennett I am dismayed to hear that you have put Satpal Ram into Segregation, would you please tell me why you have taken this action and when Mr Ram will be returned to normal regime. Yours Sincerely ====================================== 'Muftied' = prison officers in full riot gear with shields, make forced removal of a prisoner from location to segregation. In these forced removals, the prisoner will always receive some kind of injuries. If you take any action please E-mail or fax with details, which will be passed to Satpal. E-mail: SatpalRam@satpalram.connectfree.uk.com Fax: 0870-055-4570 Posted Tuesday 6th February Satpal Ram, Some Good News at last
January 1st 2001 Satpal,
has been moved to HMP Blakenhurst for legal visits and should be there
till the end of january 2001 Any snail-mail for Satpal should be sent to; Satpal Ram E-mail to address below, will be snail mailed same day. SatpalRam@satpalram.connectfree.uk.com |