Satpal Ram

Satpal Ram is a British man of Asian descent who was charged and convicted of killing another man named Clarke Pearce in Birmingham, England during a fight in 1986. His case has drawn some controversy due to alleged mistreatment by the courts and the British prison system due to his racial background. [http://www.ncrm.org.uk/campaigns/ram.html - Retrieved: April 25, 2007]

Background

According to Satpal Ram, he and two friends visited a restaurant in November 1986. While there, an altercation broke out among Ram and his two friends and another group of 6 people also in the restaurant. The argument, which was initially over Asian music being played on the restaurant's radio system became a physical fight. One of the party of 6, Clarke Pearce, was taken to hospital with knife wounds and later died. Consequently, Satpal Ram was arrested for murder and convicted in 1987. [http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/satpalram/index.html#grauniad200901 - Retrieved: April 25, 2007]

Controversy

Later debate and controversy arose among the British media when it was alleged that his barrister did not meet with him and only saw him for about forty minutes before the trial. The jury was claimed to have also missed vital evidence because no interpreter was provided to translate for Ram. It is also alleged that the judge was to have said he would interpret but also that he couldn't speak the Bengali Language. Artists such as Primal Scream and Asian Dub Foundation have championed Ram's cause.

Other reports of Ram being beaten, starved, repeatedly strip-searched, and being made to spend large periods of time in solitary confinement also arose, resulting in accusations of racism within the criminal justice system. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/racism/Story/0,2763,193365,00.html - Retrieved: April 25, 2007]

The protest for Ram's release from prison involved a song by the Asian Dub Foundation entitled "Free Satpal Ram".

Release

Satpal Ram was released from Blantyre House Prison on parole in June 2002. His initial release as recommended by the parole board in 2000, was overturned by the Home Secretary at the time, Jack Straw. His release in 2002 resulted from a European Court of Human Rights ruling which stated that government executives such as the Home Secretary had no right to overrule a decision of a parole board. [http://www.blink.org.uk/pdescription.asp?key=847&mid=&grp=2&cat=169 - Retrieved: April 25, 2007]

References

External links

* [http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/satpalram/index.html#grauniad200901 Satpal Ram on www.innocent.org.uk] - Archive of articles by the British newspaper "The Guardian" regarding Satpal Ram.