Syed Talha Ahsan was arrested at his home in Tooting, South London, on 19 July 2006 by officers from Scotland Yard's extradition unit, under a provisional warrant alleging offences under the Extradition Treaty 2003.
Background
Born in 1979, Talha had completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the School of Oriental and African Studies in Arabic. Amongst his peers, Talha was regarded as somewhat of a calm eccentric genius and even today allegations of him being connected to international terrorism lead those who knew him best to be perplexed.
Maajid Nawaz, said of Talha “He was always a very gentle and polite man, who never spoke in anger or frustration. On one occasion, I remember him explicitly and passionately criticising those who use Islam to justify certain criminal activities.”
Arrest
Syed Talha Ahsan was arrested at his home in Tooting, South London, on 19 July 2006 by officers from Scotland Yard's extradition unit, under a provisional warrant alleging offences under the Extradition Treaty 2003.
Syed Talha Ahsan was arrested at his home in Tooting, South London, on 19 July 2006 by officers from Scotland Yard's extradition unit, under a provisional warrant alleging offences under the Extradition Treaty 2003.
Allegations
Talha is accused in the same case as Babar Ahmad, a British computer specialist who was indicted in Connecticut in October 2004. He has been held on a federal indictment from the US state of Connecticut charging him with conspiracy to support terrorists and conspiracy to kill or injure people abroad. The allegations do not relate to domestic terrorism in the UK.
Talha is accused in the same case as Babar Ahmad, a British computer specialist who was indicted in Connecticut in October 2004. He has been held on a federal indictment from the US state of Connecticut charging him with conspiracy to support terrorists and conspiracy to kill or injure people abroad. The allegations do not relate to domestic terrorism in the UK.
Detention
Talha has been detained since July 2006 and has recently, in October 2010, been transferred to HMP Long Lartin.
Talha has been detained since July 2006 and has recently, in October 2010, been transferred to HMP Long Lartin.
Extradition status
On 15 September 2006 the US requested Talha’s extradition and in March 2007 the case was sent to the Secretary of State for his decision.
On 15 September 2006 the US requested Talha’s extradition and in March 2007 the case was sent to the Secretary of State for his decision.
Before the Secretary of State was due to make his decision, the US Embassy in London felt pressured to issue diplomatic notes, on 15 May 2007, giving reassurances that the death penalty would not be sought against him and that he would be tried in a federal court in accordance with all rights and protections that anyone else facing similar charges would receive.
Talha’s extradition was ordered on 14 June 2007 and his appeal was dismissed, in 2008, because of the precedent set in the case of Babar Ahmad.
Talha’s struggle against extradition continued to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) which, on 8 July 2010, ruled that likely sentences of up to 50 years imprisonment for Babar Ahmad, Haroon Rashid Aswat, Syed Talha Ahsan and Abu Hamza could violate Convention rights; and it stated that more time was needed to consider whether the condition at the “supermax” ADX Florence prison are inhumane – each inmate detained there dwells in solitary confinement.
Talha’s circumstances differ from the others in this ECtHR case as he is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. If extradited to the US. Talha is likely to face a severely repressive regime of special administrative measures (SAMs) in a 'supermax' prison resulting in greater risk of harm to the long term mental health of the inmates.
Write to Talha
To express support at this time you can write to Talha at:
Syed Talha Ahsan A9438AG
HMP Long Lartin
South Littleton
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 8TZ
Syed Talha Ahsan A9438AG
HMP Long Lartin
South Littleton
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 8TZ
You can also visit the campaign page for Talha at: www.freetalha.org
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