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Islamic Human Rights Commission
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Action Alert: Appeal for Immediate Release of British Resident Detained
in Spain

24 November 2006

IHRC is calling on all campaigners to contact the Foreign Office and the
Spanish Embassy to urge for the immediate release of Mohamed Fashi.

1. Background

Mohamed Fashi is a British resident living in Spain. He was the
president of the Islamic Cultural Association that he had set up within
the Town Council in Spain. He worked hard through peaceful measures to
bring communities together and promote understanding and community
cohesion.

On 10 January 2006, he was captured by masked police officers who shot
their way into his house. He was tortured and drugged by the Spanish
authorities. He has been accused of \’recruiting fighters for the Iraqi
insurgency\’ but no evidence has been found supporting this claim. Any
legal material regarding his case is generally classified as \’secret.\’
On the limited information that has been made available to Mohamed\’s
lawyer, he has said, \’they do not have a single proof or evidence to
find Mohamed guilty.\’ He has been denied adequate access to legal
advice. Under Spanish legislation, Mohamed can be detained for up to 4
years without trial.

Muhamad wife and three young children are British citizens resident in
the UK.

For more information, visit
http://clearmyconscience.org/index.php/navigation_menus/mohammed_fashi

2. Action Required

a. Write to the British Ambassador to Spain, Sir Stephen Wright and urge
him to provide Mohamed Fashi with full legal representation and to work
towards his immediate release.

HM Sir Stephen Wright
British Embassy
C/ Fernando el Santo, 16
28010 Madrid

Tel: +34 91 524 9700
Fax: +34 91 700 8272
Email: madridconsulate@fco.gov.uk

b. Write to the European Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Thomas
Hammarberg and urge him to provide Mohamed Fashi with full legal
representation and to work towards his immediate release.

Mr. Thomas Hammarberg
Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
Council of Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex

Tel: +33 3 88 41 34 21
Fax : +33 3 90 21 50 53
commissioner@coe.int

c. Write to the Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett and express your
concerns regarding Mohamed Fashi\’s imprisonment.

Rt. Hon. Margaret Beckett MP
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH

Tel: +44 0207 008 1500
Fax: +44 0207 839 2417
Email: private.office@fco.gov.uk

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Sample letter is given below for your convenience

Sample Letter

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

[Date]

Dear [INSERT NAME],

Re: British Resident Detained in Spain

I am writing to you to request the immediate release of Mohamed Fashi, a
British resident who was arrested in Spain on 10 January 2006, on
charges of terrorism.

He has been accused of \’recruiting fighters for the Iraqi insurgency\’
but no evidence has been found supporting this claim. Before his arrest,
he was the President of the Islamic Cultural Association that he had set
up within the Town Council in Spain. He had been making efforts to
promote cohesion and understanding within the different communities in
Spain through peaceful measures.

Currently he is not even being provided adequate legal representation
and his legal case is being kept \’secret.\’ Even his lawyer is not
provided with complete information.

There is also huge concern about whether he is being treated in
accordance with international human rights standards. It has been
reported that he was severely tortured and drugged at the time of his
arrest. NGOs such as Human Rights Watch have also reported that Spanish
authorities routinely violate the human rights of detainees held under
charges of terrorism.

Mr Fashi\’s wife and three children are British citizens who have been
traumatized by his arrest and by the injustice he has faced in prison.

I urge you to request the Spanish authorities to offer Mohamed Fashi a
fair trial with full access to independent legal representation. If he
is not found guilty, he must be released without delay.

I look forward to hearing from you soon on this matter,

Yours Sincerely,

[Your Signature]

[Your Name]

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\”And what reason have you that you should not fight in the way of Allah
and of the weak among the men and the women and the children, (of) those
who say: Our Lord! Cause us to go forth from this town, whose people are
oppressors, and give us from Thee a guardian and give us from Thee a
helper.\”
Holy Qur\’an: Chapter 4, Verse 75

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