Ali Naseem Bajwa QC and Anthony Harrison represent defendant accused of false imprisonment by holding prison officer hostage.
Ali Naseem Bajwa QC and Anthony Harrison represented David Watson, one of three Muslim inmates accused of false imprisonment by holding a prison officer hostage at knifepoint for over four hours at HMP Full Sutton, four days after the murder of Lee Rigby in May 2013. The case was prosecuted under the terrorism protocol.
Mr Watson's defence was that the action was necessary to protect himself and other Muslim prisoners from an imminent and life-threatening attack from other inmates, encouraged by racist prison officers.
The case raised issues of institutional racism and mistreatment of Muslim inmates within the prison system.
After four days of deliberation, the jury acquitted Mr Watson of false imprisonment.
Ali and Anthony were instructed by Aisha Faruqi at Powell Spencer Solicitors.
Ali Naseem Bajwa QC and Anthony Harrison are both members of the Garden Court Chambers Crime Team.
