What happened
Akhtar Uddin, a 35-year-old prisoner, took his own life on Christmas Day 2021 at HMP Wandsworth. An inquest jury found that the strict terrorism control measures imposed on him had a substantial impact on his mental state. Uddin was jailed in 2020 for breaching Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIM) and had a history of drug use and previous convictions.
The inquest heard that Uddin believed the TPIM was imposed due to reckless statements he made while under the influence of drugs, but he insisted he was not a terrorist. The jury concluded that the imposition of the TPIM and its restrictive nature had a significant impact on Uddin's mental state, and that the fear of the TPIM being re-imposed had a substantial impact on his mental health while in prison.
The inquest also found that the prison service failed to provide Uddin with the necessary support, partly due to a lack of knowledge about TPIMs among prison staff. The coroner, Bernard Richmond KC, stated that he will be issuing a report to the government due to concerns about the risk to other people under terrorism control measures.
