Mrs Khyam: It was mentioned briefly on the News that a prisoner was believed to have been scalded at HMP Frankland.

Al-Istiqamah: Given that Eesa Barot was attacked just three days after your husband went into segregation, would it be fair to say that he was attacked because the prison didn’t take the death threats made against your husband seriously?

Mrs Khyam: Definitely. They disregarded the threats made against my husband. They could have prevented the attack; it shouldn’t have happened. They were put on notice that these are the kind of threats being made and that it was due to the nature of Omar’s offence - being a high profile convicted terror suspect – that something is about to happen. Even after the attack, they are still not taking the threats against my husband seriously. It is their job to ensure the safety of all prisoners regardless of colour, race or religion.

Al-Istiqamah: Eesa Barot’s solicitor issued a statement the day after his attack and she mentioned that he too had received threats prior to the assault.

Mrs Khyam: Yes, he had received threats.

Al-Istiqamah: The only other high profile brothers in this prison, aside from your husband, are Eesa Barot and Hussein Osman, who was recently convicted over the failed 21/7 attack. I’ll ask you about incident pertaining to Hussein Osman in a minute insha’Allah, but do you feel it is only the brothers from high profile cases who are being targeted?

Mrs Khyam: So far yes, but, we are only aware of this happening on such a level in this particular prison.

Al-Istiqamah: Do you think that, in your husband’s case, a lot of the hostility was triggered by the unprecedented media attention given to Operation Crevice?

Mrs Khyam: Yes, definitely. I really believe that. They have been showing it constantly, even after the trial was over, any time anything happens they show clips from our trial and Omar’s pictures again.

Al-Istiqamah: Hussein Osman’s cell was burnt at Frankland just days after the attack on Eesa Barot. So we’re talking about all three men having had a real threat aren't we?

Mrs Khyam: Yes, and again, we heard from my husband, who could hear the other prisoners in segregation discussing it. He had heard them saying that Hussein will be next. Omar told me to get Hussein’s solicitor to have him moved into solitary confinement. Soon after however, inmates set his cell on fire whilst he was away from it. He lost every single possession in that cell in the fire including all of his Islamic books and essentials.

Al-Istiqamah: The media quoted this arson attack as “a small fire”.

Mrs Khyam: Yes. He lost his clothes, his books, everything.

Al-Istiqamah: HMP Frankland is a high security prison. I am assuming that there is a serious lack of security measures being enforced if inmates have access to the means to carry out such attacks. In particular, when such attacks were being openly discussed beforehand and are, to all extents and purposes, common knowledge?

 

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