LONDON: The family of Talha Ahsan will mark the fifth anniversary of his imprisonment without trial with readings of his poems written over the course of his detention, including a new piece entitled, “Extradition”. British citizen Ahsan was detained in 2006 on an extradition warrant from the US in the same case as Babar Ahmad. The event organized in conjunction with the Islamic Human Rights Commission, (IHRC) will be held at their bookshop and gallery in North West London, on 19th July. Speakers include leading Human Rights lawyer Gareth Pierce, who represents Ahsan, and veteran peace campaigner Bruce Kent. The anniversary event follows the launch in February this year of his book, “This Be The Answer: Poems From Prison”, supported by award winning novelist A. L. Kennedy. She has described his work as “great poems, strong beautiful stuff”. Liberty has long campaigned against unfair extradition laws. Liberty Campaigns Co-Ordinator Sabina Frediani said: “Never were justice and the law so out of sync as in the case of Britain's rotten extradition arrangements. No one should be sent anywhere – be it the US, Europe or elsewhere – without good reason and without a case first being made in a local court. “British justice should not be circumvented in this way. Our campaign, ‘Extradition Watch' seeks to persuade the Government to stop extradition without safeguards.” Event organizer, Arzu Merali said “Talha's case is yet another outrage of the so-called anti-terrorism regime that has ruined so many thousands of lives in the UK. As a poet, Talha is placed to expose his plight and that of others through his work, and this evening we will be celebrating his talent and courage in the face of injustice.” IHRC
