On Friday night Said Kasim Mohamed finally got to hospital to x-ray his broken leg, which happened in an accident at 1230pm on Tuesday 22 January inside Colnbrook immigration prison. It was broken in three places.
Hands off Somalia (HOS), Fight Racism Fight Imperialism (FRFI, newspaper of the Revolutionary Communist Group) and supporters have been campaigning for Said’s release since coming into contact with him last year. The groups accelerated their solidarity for Said when he had an accident and broke his leg in a confrontation with SERCO guards when they tried to lock up prisoners on the wing unnecessarily.
The fight to access basic medical care
Said battled with UKBA and their SERCO for four days as they insisted Said could only go to hospital if restrained in handcuffs, where as Said knew this was unlawful, a violation and a humiliation.
Said refused to be handcuffed and went without painkillers for the four days, living in extreme pain in his small cell with very little sleep. When supporters called Colnbrook to complain, the guards often laughed and lied – saying ‘we don’t handcuff people to go to hospital’ and ‘if Said broke his leg he would be in healthcare (prison hospital)’.
Said Kasim Mohamed
On Friday night Said once again approached SERCO guards, saying ‘take me to hospital in a wheelchair without handcuffs, but I want to see your “Risk Assessment Form” ‘. The risk assessment form is paperwork that a senior guard must fill out to ‘calculate’ how much danger a prisoner poses to the outside world, or the guards themselves (considering how much they are hated).
See Detention Services Order 08/2008
Since Said has never committed a crime, has not attacked guards, and has no record of escape in the prison – its not clear why SERCO kept insisting Said be handcuffed.
Said’s demand to see the Risk Assessment shocked the SERCO guards, who did not expect that Said would know his legal rights. After 4 days of insisting Said must be handcuffed, SERCO guards then returned 30 minutes later and took Said to hospital without handcuffs.
Said has placed full complaints with SERCO, UKBA and has made local MPs aware of what is happening in their area. He has also reported this abuse to Medical Justice.
A victory for one is a victory for all
Said’s small victory was a slap in the face for SERCO guards and their friends in UKBA, and a victory for all other prisoners. UKBA must realise that prisoners like Said will not tolerate bullying and manipulation.
Working together with other prisoners, across the country, and campaigns like Hands off Somalia and the Revolutionary Communist Group, we can fight to build a movement to fight the inhumane, racist and unlawful treatment that immigrants face in Britain.
The lesson will be taken forward and applied. As long as we work together, giving up is not an option.
Said still has not received full confirmation of his cancelled ticket on Qatar Airlines on Tuesday 29 January at 15:05 pm. Pressure still needs to be put onto UKBA and Qatar Airlines to stop this deportation.
When Hands off Somalia spoke to Said on Saturday night he was uplifted yet determined that he will fight on to prove has the right to stay, like all immigrants detained inside UKBA prisons, and will struggle until he is released.
Hands Off Somalia 