A prisoner who sued the MoJ says he remains isolated, awaiting a judgment for over 20 months
Peterborough: So, there’s this prisoner named Kevan Thakrar, right? He took the Ministry of Justice to court back in April 2023, claiming he’s been stuck in solitary confinement for over two years. And guess what? He’s still in isolation, waiting for the judge to make a decision, which has now dragged on for 20 months.
Thakrar is serving a life sentence for murder and attempted murder. He filed a judicial review against the MoJ, saying his solitary confinement is unlawful. During the court hearing, it came out that he had spent 749 days straight in isolation, and five of the last eight years in a cell all by himself. That’s pretty rough.
His lawyer mentioned that he’s been locked up for more than 22 hours a day without any contact with other inmates. The delay in the judgment means he’s now been in these conditions for over 1,300 days. That’s a long time to be alone, and it’s taking a toll on him.
In 2021, a UN expert said that the conditions in these high-security centers are similar to solitary confinement, which the UK government disagrees with. They even said that being in such conditions for more than 15 days could be considered torture, according to the “Mandela rules.”
Thakrar shared in an email from his cell that the long wait for a judgment has only made things worse for him. He can’t understand why it’s taking so long, especially since he’s shown clear evidence of his situation in court.
He’s been in solitary confinement at HMP Whitemoor since May 2024, and he claims the conditions are worse than what he experienced at HMP Belmarsh. He’s spent at least 10 of the last 15 years in isolation, and he’s frustrated with the lack of updates on the judgment.
He even filed a complaint against the judge, Mrs. Justice McGowan, because of the delay. In a previous case, a judge criticized a 22-month wait for a decision as “inexcusable,” saying judgments should ideally be made within three months, even for complex cases.
Thakrar ended up in solitary after an incident with prison officers back in 2010. He was acquitted of any wrongdoing, but he’s still been kept in isolation. His lawyer pointed out that the MoJ had previously paid him damages for failing to protect him from abuse by other inmates.
Thakrar believes something fishy is going on, especially since the judge promised to expedite the decision. His supporters are calling the delay “outrageous.” A spokesperson for the judiciary said they can’t comment on individual cases or any complaints that might have been filed.
