Talha Ahsan
 Talha Ahsan     (poet, translator) | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979-09-21 London, United Kingdom |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | SOAS, University of London |
Syed Talha Ahsan is a prisoner in Great Britain awaiting extradition to the USA.
Arrest
Talha Ahsan was arrested at home on 19 July 2006 in response to an extradition request from the USA under the Extradition Act 2003, which does not require the presentation of any prima facie evidence. He is accused in the US of "terrorism"-related offences arising out of his alleged involvement over the period 1997-2004 with a series of websites, one of which happened to be hosted on a server located in the United States. The US case against Talha Ahsan appears to be based on evidence obtained by the Metropolitan Police during a raid on the London home of Babar Ahmad. Talha Ahsan is a British citizen. He has never visited the US and says that any case against him should be heard in Britain. He denies any wrongdoing.
A booklet of Talha Ahsan's poetry, titled "This be the Answer", was published in early 2011. The poems have won praise from novelist A L Kennedy, who read some of them at the booklet's launch in Edinburgh.
There is a campaign to prevent his deportation. His case has has similarities to that of Gary McKinnon.
External links
- Free Talha Ahsan
- Commemoration of Talha's 5th year in prison - Bikyamasar 19 July 2011
