Free Hicham Yezza!

Hicham Yezza is a former student and current employee at Nottingham University in the UK. Presently, he is facing being deported by British authorities to Algeria as early as this weekend, despite having resided in England for the last 13 years. His initial ‘crime’ was to have assisted a fellow student, Rizwaan Sabir, to access research materials related to Al-Qaeda. Sabir and Yezza were arrested on Nottingham campus on May 14 under the Terrorism Act 2000. After six/seven days in detention the pair were released without charge. Subsequently, Yezza was re-arrested and is accused of having ‘visa irregularities’ of such severity that the state is being forced to remove him entirely from the country, and to a destination in which he faces the prospect of further imprisonment and torture. Note that the materials which Sabir was initially arrested and questioned for having in his possession — the so-called “Al Qaeda Training Manual” — is freely available online — at the US Department of Justice, for example (PDF) — and even for sale at Amazon.

For more information, please see Stop the Deportation of Hicham Yezza.

See also :

Student researching al-Qaida tactics held for six days, Polly Curtis and Martin Hodgson, The Guardian, May 24, 2008
‘Draconian’ Home Office fast-tracks Algerian’s deportation, Richard Osley, The Independent, May 25, 2008
Detention for student in England over al-Qaeda book, Boston Herald (Associated Press), May 26, 2008
Britain to Deport Scholar Who Downloaded Al Qaeda Guide at U.S. Government Web Site, Andrew Mills, Chronicle of Higher Education, May 27, 2008
Concern over threat to our colleague, Letters, The Guardian, May 28, 2008
Fury over academic’s deportation, The Press Association, May 29, 2008
Students’ protest over deportation, The Press Association, May 29, 2008
How the ‘war on terror’ backfired, Matthew Carr, The First Post, May 29, 2008

For academic freedom and against deportation, Disillusioned kid, UK Indymedia, May 28, 2008 | Nottingham Uni Detainee Innocent But Still Facing Deportation — various reports, and links to other media sources, campaigns, and general reportage

Notts Uni detainee innocent but still facing deportation
Press release
May 25, 2008

Hicham Yezza, a popular, respected and valued former PhD student and current employee of the University of Nottingham faces deportation to Algeria on Sunday 1st June. This follows his unjust arrest under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Wednesday 14th May alongside Rizwaan Sabir and their release without charge six days later.

It has subsequently become clear that these arrests, which the police had claimed related to so-called “radical materials”, involved an Al Qaeda manual downloaded by Sabir as part of his research into political Islam and emailed to Yezza for printing because Sabir couldn’t afford to get it printed himself.

There has been a vocal response from lecturers and students. A petition is being circulated, letters have been sent by academics across the world and a demo is being planned for Wednesday 28th May. This has clearly been deeply embarrassing to a government currently advocating an expansion of anti-terror powers.

On his release Hicham was re-arrested under immigration legislation and, due to confusion over his visa documentation, charged with offences relating to his immigration status. He sought legal advice and representation over these matters whilst in custody. On Friday 23rd May, he was suddenly served with a deportation notice and moved to an immigration detention centre. The deportation is being urgently appealed.

Hicham has been resident in the U.K. for 13 years, during which time he has studied for both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Nottingham. He is an active member of debating societies, a prominent member of an arts and theatre group, and has written for, and edited, Ceasefire, the Nottingham Student Peace Movement magazine for the last five years.

He is well known and popular on campus amongst the university community and has established himself as a voracious reader and an authority on literature and music. An application for British citizenship was underway, and he had been planning to make his yearly trip to Wales for the Hay Festival when he was suddenly arrested.

The authorities are clearly trying to circumvent the criminal justice system and force Hicham out of the country. Normally they would have to wait for criminal proceedings to finish, but here they have managed to convince the prosecution to drop the charges in an attempt to remove him in a quick, covert manner. The desire for justice is clearly not the driving force behind this, as Hicham was happy to stand trial and prove his innocence.

Hicham has a large social network and many of his friends are mobilising to prevent his deportation. Matthew Butcher, 20, a student at the University of Nottingham and member of the 2008-9 Students Union Executive, said, “This is an abhorrent abuse of due process, pursued by a government currently seeking to expand anti-terror powers. Following the debacle of the initial ‘terror’ arrests they now want to brush the whole affair under the carpet by deporting Hicham.”

Supporters have been able to talk with Hicham and he said, “The Home Office operates with a Gestapo mentality. They have no respect for human dignity and human life. They treat foreign nationals as disposable goods – the recklessness and the cavalier approach they have belongs to a totalitarian state. I thank everyone for their support – it’s been extremely heartening and humbling. I’m grateful to everyone who has come to my aid and stood with me in solidarity, from students to Members of Parliament. I think this really reflects the spirit of the generous, inclusive Britain we know – and not the faceless, brutal, draconian tactics of the Home Office.”