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Inside Belmarsh prison with Julian Assange

The WikiLeaks founder fears his imprisonment, US government surveillance and restrictions on the group’s funding have scared off new whistleblowers.

H MP Belmarsh, London, 2.30pm on Wednesday 13 December 2023. Julian Assange strides into the visitors’ area. He stands out in the column of 23 prisoners for his height – 6′ 2″ – and flowing white locks with trimmed beard. He squints, looking for a familiar face among the wives, sisters, sons and fathers of the other inmates. I am waiting, as assigned, at D-3, one of about 40 sets of small coffee tables surrounded by three upholstered chairs – two blue, one red – screwed into the floor of what looks like a basketball court. We spot each other, walk forward and embrace. It is the first time I have seen him in six years. ‘You’re pale.’ With a mischievous smile, he jokes, ‘They call it prison pale.’

He has not been outdoors since he took refuge in London’s cramped Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012. The embassy’s French windows had afforded glimpses of sky; here at Belmarsh maximum security prison in southeast London, his abode since 11 April 2019, he has not seen the sun, confined to a cell for 23 hours a day. His single hour of recreation takes place within four walls, under supervision.

I had arrived by train and bus an hour and a half earlier for registration and security inspection. The process began in the single-story Visitors Centre to the left of the prison, as bleak a 1950s-style lunchroom as any depicted by Edward Hopper: cheap tables, chipped chairs, dim lighting, and banks of glass-fronted storage lockers. A kindly woman no younger than my own 72 years told me I was early and suggested I have coffee. Twenty minutes later, at 1.15, the door to an adjoining office opened for visitors to queue for passes. I gave my name to a uniformed woman behind an elevated counter. She examined her computer and asked, ‘Are you here for Mr Assange?’ She was polite, almost friendly, as she recorded prints of my index fingers and told me to look at an overhead camera that took my photograph.

I presented three hardback books for Assange: my own Soldiers Don’t Go Mad ; Sebastian Faulks’s new novel Seventh Son; and Pegasus: The Story of the World’s Most Dangerous Spyware , by Laurent Richard and Sandrine Rigaud. She instructed me to hand them to the stout woman seated to her right who examined my book, the history of a mental hospital for shell-shocked officers in the first world war. Looking at the title page, which I had signed for Assange, she forbade me to give it to him. I asked why. Nothing could be written in any book for inmates. I said it was my signature on a book I wrote, not a secret code. No matter. That was the rule. She ordered me to wait in the lunchroom while she checked on the possibility of admitting the other two books.

I drank a tepid Nescafé and read the newspapers. More people, mostly women, arrived and joined the queue. A few of the women had small children or babies. One was with her son, a smiling lad of about 12. Another woman reminded me of British movie star Diana Dors, whose voluptuous form and cherry red lipstick would make an inmate yearn for the pleasures of home. An older South Asian woman limped by on a walking stick. One young woman wore a hijab. There were a few old men, possibly visiting their sons. It seemed most of them had been here before.

‘Manuscripts don’t burn’

Back at the registration counter, the stout woman told me that Assange could not receive any books. Why not? He had to remove books from his cell before adding new ones. Why? Fire hazard. Recalling Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita , I think, but dare not say, ‘Manuscripts don’t burn.’

I deposited the books and everything else I had in a locker – telephone, pen, notebook, newspapers. I kept the permitted £25 in cash to buy snacks inside. The women gave me a paper pass and a tag to wear around my neck: ‘HM Prison Belmarsh – Social Visitor 2199.’ I walked with the group across the grounds to the visitors’ entrance into the prison itself. There followed a series of checks and searches that involved verification of fingerprints, X-rays and a handsome golden retriever sniffing for drugs. We entered the hall to await the prisoners.

Julian and I sit down, face to face, me on the red chair, he on one of the blues. Above us, glass globes hide cameras that record the interactions between inmates and their guests. Not sure how to begin the conversation, I ask whether he wants anything from the snack bar. He requests two hot chocolates, a cheese-and-pickle sandwich and a Snickers bar. I invite him to come with me and make his own choices. Not permitted, he says. I line up at the booth run by volunteers from the Bexley and Dartford Samaritans. When my turn comes, I place the order. Out of sandwiches. The rest of the food is junk: potato crisps, chocolate bars, colas, sweet muffins. I return to Julian, who has changed seats. The red chair is for prisoners, the blue for visitors, and a guard had ordered him to take the correct place. I put the tray with his hot chocolates, the Snickers, some muffins and my instant coffee on the table. I ask why only unhealthy food was available. He smiles and says I should see what they eat inside on a budget of £2 per inmate per day. Porridge for breakfast, thin soup for lunch and not much else for dinner.

Julian had thought prison meant communal meals at long tables, as in the movies. Belmarsh’s warders shove the food into the cells for prisoners to eat alone. It is hard to make friends that way. He has been there longer than any other prisoner apart from an old man who had served seven years. There are occasional suicides, he tells me, including one the night before.

Hizbullah hostages had radios

I apologise for not giving him any books, explaining that they told me he had exceeded his limit. He smiles again. In his first months, they allowed him to keep barely a dozen. Later, they expanded it to 15. He pushed for more. How many did he have now? ‘Two hundred and thirty-two.’ It is my turn to smile.

I ask whether he still has the radio he had struggled to obtain in his first year. He does, but it is not working due to a defective plug. Regulations permit each prisoner to have a radio purchased from prison stores. The authorities, however, said no radios were available for him. When I heard about it, I sent him a radio. It was returned. I then sent him a book on how to make a radio. That too was returned. Months passed, and I contacted one of Britain’s better-known former Hizbullah hostages to ask for his help. Listening to the BBC World Service on a radio his captors had given him preserved his sanity. At my urging, I tell Julian, he wrote to the prison governor. A media story that Belmarsh was denying Assange a privilege that Hizbullah granted hostages would be bad publicity. The prison gave Julian his radio. Does he want my help to persuade them to fix or replace the broken plug? No, it would just make unnecessary trouble for him.

How does he, a news addict, keep in touch? The prison allows him to read printouts of news stories, and friends write to him. With the invasions of Ukraine and Gaza, I say, now is an important time for whistleblowers to send documents to WikiLeaks. He says WikiLeaks is no longer able to expose war crimes and corruption as in the past. His imprisonment and US government surveillance and restrictions on WikiLeaks’ funding ward off potential whistleblowers. He fears other media outlets are not filling the vacuum.

Belmarsh does not offer him education programmes or communal activity, like orchestra practice, sports or publishing a prison journal, standard at many other prisons. The regime is punitive although Belmarsh’s 700-odd inhabitants are on remand, awaiting trial or appeal. They are Category A prisoners, those who ‘pose the most threat to the public, the police or national security’ and stand accused of terrorism, murder or sexual violence.

We talk about Christmas, which is just another day in Belmarsh. The prison is closed to visitors on Christmas Day and the day after, and his wife, Stella Moris, and their two young sons, Gabriel and Max, may not see him on Christmas Eve. He can attend Catholic Mass celebrated by the Polish chaplain, who has become a friend.

Visiting hour is ending. We stand and embrace. I look at him, unable to say good-bye. The visitors walk towards the exit, the prisoners remain seated. Apart from occasional visiting days, his days are all the same: the confined space, the loneliness, the books, the memories, the hope that his lawyers’ appeal against extradition and life imprisonment in the United States will succeed.

As I pass through the automatic doors to the outside world, the last words of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich come to me: ‘There were three thousand six hundred and fifty-three days in his sentence, from reveille to lights out. The three extra days were because of the leap years.’

Charles Glass

The longer view

Radical who refused to compromise, if only assange had been navalny, latin america rallies behind julian assange, translations.

• français —  Au parloir avec Julian Assange
• Español —  En el locutorio con Julian Assange
• Deutsch —  Wiedersehen mit Julian
• Esperanto —  En la vizitosalono kun Julian Assange
• فارسى —  ملاقات در زندان با ژولیان آسانژ
• Português —  Visita a Julian Assange na prisão

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A tour of the jail within a jail that houses Britain's most dangerous convicts

Mark hughes is the first newspaper journalist to be allowed inside belmarsh's high security unit, article bookmarked.

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Cell 12 on wing three is about 6ft wide by 10ft long. A small window covered by wire mesh offers the dull view of a wall outside. There is a small television on a plastic desk in one corner and a metal toilet in the other.

Only the long, specially-adapted, lever tap handles give any indication as to the identity of the occupant. For the past six years this has been "home" to Abu Hamza, the notorious Muslim cleric. He is one of just nine prisoners held in Britain's most secure prison.

Holding the country's most dangerous criminals, HMP Belmarsh's High Security Unit (HSU) is a prison within-a-prison. And, until now, almost nothing has been known about it. Even within the main jail, most of the 843 prisoners have no idea what goes on inside.

But this week The Independent became the first newspaper to be granted full access to the HSU and allowed to speak to the men whose job it is to guard the country's most dangerous criminals. We saw the cramped living conditions and tedious regimes that men such as the 21/7 bombers and Bilal Abdullah, the man behind the Glasgow Airport attack, have experienced.

To get inside the main prison I had already negotiated 15 gated doors and had my fingerprints scanned. On arrival at the HSU – a windowless, grey concrete building opposite the prison's recently-built five-a-side football pitch – the security checks began again.

Surrounded by CCTV cameras in a small carpeted reception area – the only carpet in the block – I removed my shoes and belt and put all my belongings through an X-ray machine. I walked through a metal detector and a was given a body search – the lining of my jeans, the soles of my feet and inside my mouth were all checked.

This security is not just for visitors – the prison guards must go through the same search before they enter.

At the end of the reception area is a red iron gate. Passing through this door involves at least a four-minute wait, as it can only be unlocked by staff in the control room who check people's identity using remote cameras which zoom in to study their faces.

Once through you are faced with four more doors, each leading to a different part of the unit. No two doors in the unit can be opened at the same time.

The HSU is on two floors and is split into four "spurs". Each one has 12 single-occupancy cells. Built alongside the main prison in 1991, the HSU was originally used almost exclusively to house IRA prisoners. But since then it has held KGB agents, al-Qa'ida terrorists and even Charles Bronson – Britain's most violent prisoner – who had a whole spur to himself.

But while Bronson was deemed too dangerous to mix with others, the men currently held in the HSU are not there because of any physical risk they pose. For the most part it is their notoriety which earns them a place there.

"We get a lot of high-profile prisoners, and prisoners who have the means and capacity to escape," one of the the HSU managers explained. "The type of prisoner we have here is a lot different to the type of prisoner in the normal prison. The prisoners here have the means and ability to achieve the results prisoners somewhere else would not."

That applies to Curtis Warren, who is currently being held in the HSU. He is a gangster, a drug trafficker and was once Interpol's most wanted man.

The fear around Warren, a powerful and influential criminal on the outside, is that he would be both of these things inside the prison were he to mix with other prisoners. And, despite the fact that Belmarsh has never had a prisoner escape in its 19-year history, he would also be a possible escape risk.

A different fear exists around Abu Hamza: that he would use his preaching to radicalise other Muslim inmates. He cannot do that from the confines of the HSU. Indeed, he cannot do much.

The prisoners here have a similar regime to the inmates in the main prison except that they are not allowed to work – prison jobs include packing teabags and cleaning.

They are in their cell for 12 hours and out for 12. The day starts at 8.10am. They are given 20 minutes for breakfast, an hour of outdoor exercise, an hour to use the gym and have to clean the wing for half-an-hour a day. The rest of the time spent out of their cell – five hours – is "association" time.

During this period they can chat to one another, play pool or table football, watch television, or use the rowing machine or exercise bike which sit on the wing. There is also a laundry and a small shower cubicle.

While it may not sound a particularly taxing regime, it is far from stimulating. And it is certainly not the holiday camp which some commentators would have you believe. The area is desperately cramped and uncomfortably warm. During their five hours of association, the HSU prisoners cannot leave the confines of their spur.

The only outside areas are two surprisingly large exercise yards, surrounded by high fences topped with barbed wire and metal mesh for a roof.

Passing one yard I saw two men slowly pacing around the perimeter. They were being watched by four prison guards. At that moment an alarm went off. Unlike the perception most people have of a prison, it was not an audible siren but a coded message via the guard's radio. We were told we were not allowed to move. As we watched the two men exercise, one of them shared a joke with a guard.

It was at this point an officer warned me that those men, despite already being in the HSU, had been categorised as "exceptional risk" prisoners and were not allowed to mix with anyone except each other. He added: "Those two men are two of the most powerful people in prison in the whole of Europe."

If the HSU sounds like an additional punishment, it is not meant to be. In fact the prison has gone to surprising lengths to keep its most dangerous men happy. Abu Hamza's disability, the fact that he has no hands (he is not allowed his hook in prison), has been catered for. Two cells in the HSU have been kitted out with special taps, shelves and clothes pegs.

Staff are warned against becoming too friendly with the inmates. Officers on the HSU are only allowed to work there for three years before being moved back to the main prison. They are also warned against sharing any personal details with the prisoners.

It is for this reason that the HSU manager asks for his first name not be be published. Senior officer Murray explained: "Our staff here are trained to spot manipulation and conditioning. We don't like staff to become over-friendly because it can get to the point where a prisoner has a member of staff in his pocket and can manipulate him for favours or telephone calls."

Precautions are taken to ensure that prisoners cannot hide anything in their cell. Every few months men are moved to a different cell and the cells are searched. This is why Hamza has two.

The day I visit, everything is calm in the HSU. Inmates, in their prison-issue, maroon jogging-bottoms, use the gym under the watch of the guards.

But it is not always like this. The prison governor Phil Wragg recalls an incident where the HSU inmates refused to return to their cells and had to be forcibly restrained. But he dismisses a newspaper story which suggested that al-Qa'ida had taken over the HSU and that the prisoners have been radicalised.

Misbehaviour in the HSU is dealt with by punishment in the form of the segregation unit, where prisoners must spend 23 hours a day in their cell. And if an inmate is particularly troublesome, he will go in "the box": a room with nothing inside it except a perspex window.

Due to its added security and smaller prisoner numbers, the safety record of the HSU is better than the main prison. There has been one accidental death – where a bag of drugs burst inside a prisoner – and one incident where an IRA prisoner attempted to slit his throat.

But, unlike the main prison, where there have been three suicides in the past three months, no one has ever killed themselves in the HSU.

And, despite the differing crimes of the men in the HSU, Murray says that the atmosphere is generally good. "Prisoners over here have to get on because it is such a closed environment," he said. "You would be surprised at who gets on with who. There are no gang or religious affiliations. Muslim prisoners and non-Muslim prisoners get on very well.

"And from my experience prisoners going from here back into the main jail hate it. In the main jail, prisoners do not have the same amount of contact with the staff. Also for many of them it gives them kudos to be over here."

While the prison staff are careful not to discuss the identities of current inmates, they enjoy name-dropping previous prisoners: "I remember when I heard Charlie Bronson banging on his cell door..." and, "When I first met Ian Huntley..." are the beginnings of of two tales I heard.

And they are honest enough to admit that even they are intrigued by the men they look after. Senior officer Jason Hancock explained: "There are evenings when I will be watching the news and hear about a load of terrorist arrests and, because of the type of prisoner we look after, I think to myself: 'I'll be seeing them in the morning'.

"And I have been known to go home and tell my wife: 'Guess who I bumped into today...' But there are many shocking things that we see that we do not go home and tell our friends and families about.

"A lot of things stay within the prison and the officers have their own coping mechanisms. Some of us tell jokes about things because we don't like to admit that something has affected us more than we let on."

One of the most intriguing things about HMP Belmarsh is the unique "two-prison" set-up. Outside the HSU is a local prison with convicts on short-term sentences. Not only are the prisoners separated, but the guards' paths do not cross either. And in some ways the conditions in the main jail are worse than those in the HSU.

John Steadman, a 40-year-old convicted cocaine dealer, is 15 months into a five-year sentence. He is sitting in his cell watching television when I visit.

"Prison is boring and repetitive," he says. "This is my first sentence and definitely my last. Yes we get to watch television and play pool, but those things are just something to kill the time with. You could put a sauna and a sunbed in here and I'd still rather be outside."

It is not just the prisoners who have complaints; the guards often mention the low levels of staffing – there are just over 400 officers on rotating shifts and they are acutely aware that they are always vastly outnumbered by the prisoners. They also have to deal with drugs and mobile phones being smuggled into the prison. This is particularly annoying due to the fact that many are brought in by corrupt guards.

Despite this, Phil Wragg, the governor, is happy with his prison. "This is the best command in the prison service," he tells me. "We have the highest security and the most resources. It is also the most expensive prison to run.

"Yes, it has a bad name, but we do a good job. It has a bad name for all the wrong reasons. It has a bad name because people write things about it who, frankly, are not qualified to do so. And it is certainly not a holiday camp."

It doesn't look like one either. And obviously the prisoners inside agree. As I leave the prison I walk past guards with dogs and an exercise yard full of prisoners who press their faces against the wire fences. One shouts out to me. "Let me tell you lad," he says, nodding towards the gate and the outside world, "You are a very lucky man."

Belmarsh's most notorious prisoners

Extremist cleric who lost his hands in an explosion. On remand pending extradition request from the US.

Waheed Zaman

A relatively new arrival to Belmarsh, he was convicted of plotting to bomb a transatlantic flight.

Curtis Warren

One of Britain's most dangerous gangsters, Warren is currently serving 13 years for smuggling drugs.

Charles Bronson

Dubbed Britain's most violent prisoner, Bronson once had an entire wing of Belmarsh HSU to himself.

Ian Huntley

The Soham murderer was held in Belmarsh's high security unit before his trial and conviction in 2005.

Kenneth Noye

Road rage killer who fled to Spain after stabbing Stephen Cameron, 21, in Swanley, Kent, in 1996.

Ronnie Biggs

Spent 36 years on the run and then eight in Belmarsh. Released last summer on compassionate grounds.

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Hmp belmarsh.

• Inside Time Reports
• 13th December 2014
• Greater London , High security , Prison Visit

Prison information

Address: HMP BELMARSH Western Way, Thamesmead, Belmarsh, SE28 0EB Switchboard: 020 8331 4437/4768/4773 Managed by: HMPPS Region:  London Category:  High Security Link to: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/belmarsh-prison

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Belmarsh is a high security men’s prison in southeast London.

Visit Booking: Online

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11 thoughts on “ hmp belmarsh ”.

How often lawyer can contact with prisoner in belmarsh

Hi Can someone please tell me what days I can hand in property. I think Mondays are out but not too sure about the rest of the week…

Thanks in advance

I have been trying to book a visit to someone who was remanded 3 weeks ago. I understand that you are allowed a reception visit within the first 3 days of being in custody, and that remand prisoners are allowed 3x 1 hour visits weekly. I am still unable to obtain a visit to see this teenager.

My friends has been sentenced last week and has been on remand since last year – am I able to bring him new clothes?

Belmarsh is a very busy local prison, you need to appreciate that there are only a certain number of visits available. Travel and distance are not the concern of prison service, it is a local prison serving local courts, so travel should not be an issue to you. unless the con your visiting is down the chocker or special unit, in that case he is a wrong un so hard luck.

Why is not possible to book a visit or get reply I been trying everyday since the 14th July

Editorial Comment: Have you tried using the new on-line service https://www.gov.uk/prison-visits

What is going on with calling to book a visit I spent a whole day from morning till five trying to book a visit and find out info on what clothes I could take in for him and if I need to wait till the visit but with no response to phone call or e mail

Dear governor of hmp Belmarsh

I would like to raise my consearns about the way your prison books visits it is becoming impossible to book a visit on phone The line is put on constant engage but I have been there personally booking in for a visit and it seems like they leve the Phone on engage as I have tested this out my self I have rang the desk wile standing a few feet away all the staff were doing was drinking tea and talking about these holiday no one was attending the phones there seemed to be quite a few staff about doing nothing There are family’s who have to travel long journey and plan ahead the familys are being punished this way

I Hope you will be looking in to this matter

Editorial Note: We are not sure if the governor of Belmarsh reads our website; but you could try booking on-line at http://www.gov.uk/prison-visits

To the governor hmp Belmarsh Booking a visit at ur prison is becoming impossible from the start of the morning the phone is engaged I have been there to book visits and all the staff are doing is drinking tea and talking between them self the phone has been ringing with them totally ignoring it It is already a difficult ordeal for family members who have traveled from a long distance and seeing the reason they was having trouble booking a visit Please take some time out to address this as it is unfair for family’s to be punished this way

Many thanks Sean

TO THE GOVERNOR OF HM PRISON BELMARSH

My grandson has been sent down from Full Sutton,York to enable him to receive visits on a regular basis without his family having to travel for up to 6 hours. His mother was phoning constantly for 3 days to arrange visits and yet gets either no answer or the phone is permanently engaged. The closing time is supposed to be 4.30pm and yet there is no answer frequently after 4.00pm. I appreciate that prisoners should be punished for their crimes but surely this does not have to extend to their family as well.

I hope you will look into these comments as other families have also mentioned that they have the same problems. I look forward to any comments you may wish to make.

Mrs Helen Martin Grandmother to Karl Bishop A4162AH

Had the same issue, however they do reply fairly quickly to emails

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Assange supporters welcome ‘significant’ UK prison visit by Australian high commissioner

Stephen Smith says he hopes to make regular visits to the WikiLeaks founder, who is in Belmarsh prison and faces espionage charges in the US

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Julian Assange’s supporters have welcomed the “very positive and significant” prison visit by Australia’s new high commissioner to the United Kingdom, Stephen Smith.

The Wikileaks cofounder remains in Belmarsh prison in London as he fights a US attempt to extradite him to face charges in connection with the publication of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars as well as diplomatic cables.

Smith, a former Labor minister who took up the diplomatic appointment in late January, visited Assange on Tuesday.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said on Wednesday that he had “encouraged” Smith to visit Assange in prison.

“I have said publicly that I have raised these issues at an appropriate level, of Julian Assange. I have made it clear the Australian government’s position, which is: enough is enough. There’s nothing to be served from ongoing issues being continued. And I said that in opposition. My position hasn’t changed as the prime minister and I’ve indicated that in an appropriate way.”

Greg Barns SC, a spokesperson for the Assange campaign, welcomed the new high commissioner’s decision to make the visit an early priority in his posting and to ensure it was “a public on-the-record” event.

Barns said it was “not every day that an Australian ambassador or high commissioner visits an Australian citizen in prison in another country”.

“What we’ve got here is an Australian representative in London going to see an Australian citizen who is of course being sought by Australia’s closest ally, the United States,” Barns said on Wednesday.

“In that sense, this is different from those occasional cases where Australian ambassadors and high commissioners visit in countries where there is not the same close relationships such as China or Iran.”

Barns said it was an indication that the Albanese government was “taking this matter seriously”, although he said this came from “a very low base” under the previous government.

He said the two previous Australian high commissioners to the UK – Alexander Downer and George Brandis – had shown “no interest” in the Assange case.

Assange continues to face espionage charges in the United States and has been held in Belmarsh prison since 2019 while fighting extradition proceedings.

It is the first time since November 2019 that he has accepted a consular visit and the first time a high commissioner has met with the Australian behind bars.

Smith told the ABC on his way into the prison on Tuesday that it was “very important that the Australian government is able to discharge its consular obligations”.

“I’m very keen just to have a conversation with him, check on his health and wellbeing and hopefully see whether regular visits might be a feature of the relationship with Mr Assange going forward,” the high commissioner said.

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Assange is keen to obtain diplomatic support from Australia in his battle to avoid extradition to the US and to be freed from jail.

After his visit Smith would not comment on whether that issue had been discussed with Assange.

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“In accordance with usual consular practice, and as agreed with Mr Assange, I do not propose to comment on any details of our meeting,” he said in a statement.

Appeals to stop Assange from being extradited to the US are still before the UK courts.

Barns said Albanese should suggest to his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, that “the UK ought to refuse now to accede to the US request”.

“That is a very neat solution which means that Julian can walk out of maximum security prison in London and be reunited with his family,” Barns said.

He added that Australia should also be suggesting to the Biden administration that it bring to an end the “Trump administration prosecution” of Assange.

Albanese is due to meet with Sunak when he visits the UK for the coronation of King Charles next month. Albanese is also due to host Joe Biden for the Quad leaders’ meeting in Sydney later in May.

The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said last week that Australia would continue to express the view to both the US and UK governments that the case against Assange “has dragged on long enough and should be brought to a close”.

But she also cautioned that there were “limits to what that diplomacy can achieve”.

On the weekend Assange’s father John Shipton welcomed news of Smith’s plans to visit the prison.

“It will provide an opportunity for the high commissioner to see the appalling conditions Julian is kept in and the terrible toll that his ongoing incarceration is having on his health and on his family,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

The White House has previously said Biden was “committed to an independent Department of Justice” when asked about the Assange case.

• Julian Assange
• Australian politics

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High Commissioner Stephen Smith visits Julian Assange in prison as NGO Reporters Without Borders turned away

Australia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Stephen Smith has visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in prison in London.

Key points:

• Mr Assange wanted to ask the High Commissioner what the Albanese government was doing to secure his release
• Mr Smith said he hoped visits with Mr Assange could become a regular occurrence
• Representatives from Reporters Without Borders were turned away from a scheduled visit earlier that morning

It's the first time Australia's top diplomat in the UK has visited Mr Assange since he was locked up in Belmarsh Prison nearly four years ago.

On his way into the high security prison Mr Smith told the ABC he was pleased that he was able to visit Mr Assange.

"No Australian official has seen him since November of 2019," he said. "That's a very long time."

"I'm very keen just to have a conversation with him, check on his health and wellbeing and hopefully see whether regular visits might be a feature of the relationship with Mr Assange going forward."

Mr Smith, who has been in the role since late January, said it was "very important that the Australian government is able to discharge its consular obligations".

But it's clear that Mr Assange saw this visit as something much more than a consular visit.

The ABC has been told Mr Assange planned to ask the High Commissioner what progress was being made by the Albanese government to secure his release.

An email obtained by the ABC, sent by Mr Assange's legal team to the Australian High Commission six weeks ago while the visit was still being negotiated, made it clear he was not seeking standard consular support.

"Mr Assange would welcome such a meeting for the same reason that underpinned his father's request; to inform and obtain diplomatic support to be advanced by the Australian government in his case (as opposed to obtaining consular support)," the email said.

After the visit concluded, Mr Smith would not comment on whether these issues were discussed during the meeting.

"In accordance with usual Consular practice, and as agreed with Mr. Assange, I do not propose to comment on any details of our meeting," he said in a statement.

"The Australian government is clear in its view that Mr Assange's case has dragged on for too long and should be brought to a conclusion."

Outside the prison, in the hours leading up to the visit, Mr Assange's wife Stella said she was pleased Mr Smith had agreed to meet with her husband.

"We welcome that the Australian High Commissioner has agreed to come to this visit and I hope that it will be a constructive and positive step.

Press freedom NGO turned away

In a dramatic day outside the prison, press freedom organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was denied access to Mr Assange.

It would have been the first time an NGO had been granted visitation rights to the WikiLeaks publisher inside Belmarsh Prison, but RSF's representatives were turned away at the last moment.

"Without even checking our documentation, we were told that we would not be allowed in. The first official that we spoke to said that they had received, quote unquote, 'intelligence' that we were journalists and therefore we would not be allowed to visit," RSF Director of Operations and Campaigns Rebecca Vincent told a media conference.

"We are legitimate as an NGO in visiting him and he has a right to visitors. As Reporters Without Borders, when we do this job, it is always as an NGO, not as journalists."

RSF's Secretary-General Christophe Deloire travelled from Paris to visit Mr Assange.

He said he did not buy the prison's explanation for refusing his visit and labelled it "absurd".

"Clearly the official explanation of this denial of access is not sincere. It was decided and communicated with bad faith," Mr Deloire said.

"But this is another evidence that in this case of Julian Assange, nothing is ever normal. That the judiciary, and the prison administration do not deal with him as a normal prisoner."

Appeals to stop Mr Assange from being extradited to the US for publishing top secret material are still before the UK courts.

RSF repeated its demands that the Biden administration drop the charges against the WikiLeaks founder.

Ms Vincent said she had been lobbying the Australian government to put pressure on the US government.

"We wrote to Prime Minister [Anthony] Albanese ahead of his recent visit to the United States and urged him to raise this case with President Biden on the sidelines," she said.

"President Biden is scheduled to travel to Australia in May for the Quad Leaders summit and we are urging the leaders to discuss this case on the sidelines as well.

"We hope this (the High Commissioner's visit) is a shift towards more active engagement in the case and we call for Australia to do everything in its power to find a diplomatic solution and to allow for his release."

The ABC asked the US Department of Justice why it was pursuing the case against Mr Assange but it declined to comment.

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• Prisons and Punishment
• United Kingdom
• World Politics

Five Years At Belmarsh: A Chronicle Of Julian Assange’s Imprisonment

At the behest of the United States government, the British government has detained WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in His Majesty’s Prison Belmarsh for five years. 

Assange is one of the only journalists to be jailed by a Western country, making the treatment that he has endured extraordinary. He has spent more time in prison than most individuals charged with similar acts. 

Since December 2010, Assange has lived under some form of arbitrary detention.

He was expelled from Ecuador’s London embassy on April 11, 2019, and British police immediately arrested him. Police transported Assange to Belmarsh, a maximum-security facility often  referred  to as “ Britain’s Guantanamo .” 

Around the same time, the U.S. Justice Department unsealed an indictment that alleged that Assange had conspired with U.S. Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning to commit a “computer intrusion.” The following month the DOJ issued another indictment with 17 additional Espionage Act charges. 

On May 1, Assange was sentenced by a British court to 50 weeks in prison as punishment for seeking political asylum from Ecuador while Sweden was attempting to extradite him. His sentence was  longer  than the six-month sentence that Jack Shepherd, the “speedboat killer” received for “breaching bail.” 

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer visited Assange on May 9. Two medical experts, who specialize in examining potential torture survivors, accompanied Melzer. He  reported  on May 31 that “Assange showed all [the] symptoms typical for prolonged exposure to psychological torture, including extreme stress, chronic anxiety and intense psychological trauma.”

A few weeks after Melzer’s visit, prison administrators moved Assange to the medical ward. A WikiLeaks spokesperson  said  that their former editor-in-chief’s health had “continued to deteriorate,” and he had “dramatically lost weight.” A defense lawyer indicated that it had become impossible to “conduct a normal conversation with him.” 

Australian journalist John Pilger, a friend and supporter of Assange, shared, “When I saw him a couple of weeks ago he wasn’t very well then. But then he’s been in an embassy in a confined space without natural light for almost seven years.”

“He needs a great deal of diagnostic care and rehabilitation. He’s gone through an extraordinary physical and mental ordeal. And now he’s having to go through this,” Pilger added. 

Assange completed his prison sentence in September, however, District Judge Vanessa  refused  to release him on bail because she believed he would “abscond again.”  

Former British ambassador Craig Murray  attended  a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court on October 21, 2019, and shared what he witnessed.

“I was badly shocked by just how much weight my friend has lost, by the speed his hair has receded and by the appearance of premature and vastly accelerated aging. He has a pronounced limp I have never seen before. Since his arrest he has lost over 15 kg [33 pounds] in weight.”

Murray continued, “When asked to give his name and date of birth, he struggled visibly over several seconds to recall both.”

“I do not understand how this process is equitable,” Assange declared. “This superpower had 10 years to prepare for this case, and I can’t even access my writings. It is very difficult, where I am, to do anything. These people have unlimited resources.”

According to Murray, it was a “real struggle” to address the court. “[H]is voice dropped and he became increasingly confused and incoherent. He spoke of whistleblowers and publishers being labeled enemies of the people, then spoke about his children’s DNA being stolen and of being spied on in his meetings with his psychologist. I am not suggesting at all that Julian was wrong about these points, but he could not properly frame nor articulate them.” 

“He was plainly not himself, very ill and it was just horribly painful to watch. Baraitser showed neither sympathy nor the least concern. She tartly observed that if he could not understand what had happened, his lawyers could explain it to him, and she swept out of court,” Murray added.

Assange remained in Belmarsh prison’s medical ward until mid-January. During that time, he lived in conditions that amounted to solitary confinement. The harsh confinement  ended  only after his legal team and several prisoners petitioned administrators to move him into a wing with other prisoners.

In February, the first of two hearings on the U.S. extradition request were held. The proceedings focused on matters of extradition law, and Assange’s attorneys complained about alleged abuse after the first day. 

SBS Australia  reported , “The WikiLeaks founder was stripped naked twice, handcuffed 11 times and had his legal case files confiscated by guards at London’s Belmarsh Prison on Monday, his lawyers told the hearing.”

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser claimed there was nothing that she could do to ensure Assange was treated humanely.

Assange was forced to observed proceedings in his own case from within a glass box. Jen Robinson, one of Assange’s attorneys, said that he was “unable to pass notes in a confidential and secure way. He’s unable to seek clarification from his legal team and give instructions during the course of the proceedings.” 

It was difficult for Assange to participate in his defense, and yet, Baraitser denied a request to allow him to sit with his attorneys in the courtroom. 

Not long after the week-long hearing, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the majority of the world. It greatly intensified the hardship of imprisonment.

Vaughan Smith, a friend who allowed Assange to live with him under house arrest in 2010, wrote on April 9 that Assange was “confined alone in a cell 23 and a half hours every day. He gets half an hour of exercise and that is in a yard crowded with other prisoners. With over 150 Belmarsh prison staff off work self-isolating, the prison is barely functioning.”

“We know of two COVID-19 deaths in Belmarsh so far, though the [Ministry] of Justice have admitted to only one death. Julian told me that there have been more, and that the virus is ripping through the prison,” Smith said.

On March 25, Assange’s legal team went before Baraitser and asked that he be granted bail. There were widespread calls for the release of detainees and prisoners in order to halt the spread of COVID. But Baraitser denied the request. 

Belmarsh did not allow visitors from March 22 to the last week of August. He was unable to see his partner Stella or his two children, Gabriel and Max.

When Stella  visited  Julian, he was not allowed to hug his children unless he wanted to be in solitary confinement for two weeks.

“Julian said it was the first time he had been given a mask because things are very different behind the doors,” Stella shared. “[H]e looked a lot thinner. He was wearing a yellow armband to indicate his level of prisoner status, and you could see how thin his arms were.”

The U.S. Justice Department issued  another indictment  in June that added to Julian Assange’s stress by accusing the WikiLeaks founder of conspiring with “hackers” affiliated with “Anonymous,” “LulzSec,” “AntiSec,” and “Gnosis.” Some of the new allegations were sourced to  Sigurdur “Siggi” Thordarson —a serial criminal, lying sociopath, and convicted pedophile. 

Although the pandemic impacted public and press access to proceedings, Baraitser went forward with the second part of the extradition hearing in September. Assange’s legal team called several witnesses to help challenge the extradition request. It lasted a month.

Dr. Quinton Deeley, who works for the National Health Service (NHS), conducted an Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) test and interviewed Assange for six hours in July. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.

Assange told Deeley he feared he would be held in isolation in a U.S. prison. He was afraid of the fresh indictment. He was also concerned about the fate of Joshua Schulte, who was held in harsh confinement conditions prior to his trial for disclosing the “Vault 7” materials to WikiLeaks.

If extradited, Deeley determined Assange’s risk of suicide would be high under the circumstances. He said Assange “ruminates about prospective circumstances at length,” and it causes a “sense of horror.” And, “He would find it an unbearable ordeal, and I think his inability to bear that in the context of [an] acute worsening depression would confer high risk of suicide.”

A couple of months later, on November 2, Manoel Santos, a gay Brazilian who was facing deportation to Brazil,  killed  himself. He was a prisoner who had become Assange’s friend, and his death was incredibly devastating for Assange. 

“Julian tells me Manoel was an excellent tenor,” Stella Assange shared. “He helped Julian read letters in Portuguese and he was a friend. He feared deportation to Brazil after 20 years, being gay put him at risk where he was from,” she said. (Jair Bolsonaro, an anti-gay fascist, was president of Brazil.) 

There was also a  COVID outbreak  in Assange’s prison block in November. “I am extremely worried about Julian. Julian’s doctors say that he is vulnerable to the effects of the virus. But it’s not just COVID,” Stella declared. 

She added, “Every day that passes is a serious risk to Julian. Belmarsh is an extremely dangerous environment where murders and suicides are commonplace.”

The year at Belmarsh started with a bittersweet victory. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that extraditing Julian Assange to the United States would be “oppressive” for mental health reasons. 

Although Baraitser refused to uphold certain protections that would protect Assange’s freedom of expression, the judge  acknowledged  the cruelty of the U.S. prison system, particularly what would happen to Assange if he was sent to a supermax prison.

But two days later, lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service  argued  Assange should not be granted bail because he helped NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden “flee justice.” Lawyers also singled out Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s  asylum offer  and insisted that he remain in Belmarsh or else he would go to Mexico’s London embassy to escape prosecution.

The district judge  sided  with the U.S. government. She agreed that the assistance WikiLeaks provided Snowden demonstrated that Assange would pose a “flight risk.” Baraitser further argued that the “huge support networks” that Assange had would aid him “should he again choose to go to ground.” Supporters would make it easier for the WikiLeaks founder to evade prosecution.

Following President Joe Biden’s election, Stella was cautiously optimistic that his administration would have want to “project a commitment to the First Amendment.” This would force the U.S. Justice Department under Biden to drop the charges. However, the Biden administration would not relent in their pursuit of the case. 

Contagious variants of COVID spread throughout the world. For eight months, Belmarsh administrators  would not permit  Stella or his two children to visit Julian.  

Stella told the news media after her prison visit that British authorities needed to bring this case to an end because they were “driving” Julian to “deep depression and into despair.” 

“[Julian] shouldn’t be in prison at all, he shouldn’t be prosecuted at all, because he did the right thing: he published the truth,” Stella declared. 

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons made two unannounced visits to Belmarsh in late July 26-27 and early August. A report [ PDF ] published by the inspector found that “rates of violence” had spiked despite COVID restrictions “limiting the time most prisoners were out of their cells.”

“The prison had not paid sufficient attention to the growing levels of self-harm and there was not enough oversight or care taken of prisoners at risk of suicide. Urgent action needed to be taken in this area to make sure that these prisoners were kept safe,” according to the report.

A hearing on the U.S. government’s appeal was held before the British High Court of Justice at the end of October. Assange had a “ mini-stroke ” on the first day and was unable to follow proceedings. 

On December 10, the High Court  ruled  in favor of the U.S. government’s appeal and overturned the lower court decision that had momentarily spared Assange. The judges said they were “satisfied” with diplomatic assurances that were offered by the U.S. State Department. The court had no reason to believe that Assange would not be treated appropriately in U.S. custody. 

Assange immediately appealed to the United Kingdom’s Supreme Court to reconsider the decision.

“Today is international Human Rights Day,” Stella declared. What a shame. How cynical to have this decision on this day, to have the foremost publisher [and] journalist of the past 50 years in a U.K prison accused of publishing the truth about war crimes, about CIA kill teams.”

“In fact, every time we have a hearing, we know more about the abusive nature, the criminal nature of this case.”

Another bittersweet moment in the case occurred at Belmarsh on March 23. Prison administrators ended their opposition and allowed Julian and Stella to marry each other in a pared-down wedding ceremony. 

Stella  proclaimed , “This is not a prison wedding, it is a declaration of love and resilience in spite of the prison walls, in spite of the political persecution, in spite of the arbitrary detention, in spite of the harm and harassment inflicted on Julian and our family. Their torment only makes our love grow stronger.”

However, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice refused to allow journalists Craig Murray and Chris Hedges to attend as witnesses because they regularly publish articles about the case. The prison also tried to deny access to the couple’s “proposed photographer” and labeled wedding pictures a “security risk” because the photos could circulate on social media or in the press.

“I am convinced that they fear that people will see Julian as a human being. Not a name, but a person,” Stella responded. “Their fear reveals that they want Julian to remain invisible to the public at all costs, even on his wedding day, and especially on his wedding day,” Stella responded.

Still, as Stella told  60 Minutes Australia , the two exchanged vows and hugged. “It was like we weren’t in a prison. For a moment, the prison walls disappeared. The guards and the prisoners and the visitors were all saying congratulations, and when Julian came in as well, they started clapping.”

Julian Assange’s appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court was  rejected  days before wedding. The court was unwilling to review any of the issues that his legal team raised. That meant the extradition request was approved by the district court and sent to U.K. Home Secretary Priti Patel for approval in June. 

A new appeal was  filed  in July, and as Assange sought an appeal hearing before the High Court, his case was thrust into limbo. 

In October, Assange was forced to isolate in the prison for several days after he was  infected  with COVID. He was locked in his cell for 24 hours a day. 

The news was shared a couple days after Stella Assange and supporters formed a human chain around U.K. Parliament in a show of solidarity for the jailed WikiLeaks founder.

While the Australian government had consistently declined to advocate for the rights of one of their own citizens, Stephen Smith, who was Australia’s high commissioner to the United Kingdom, visited Julian Assange at Belmarsh. 

“I’m very keen just to have a conversation with him, check on his health and wellbeing and hopefully see whether regular visits might be a feature of the relationship with Mr Assange going forward,” Smith  told  the press, as he entered the prison. 

The visit was a product of campaigning by Assange supporters in Australia. Finally, the prime minister of Australia—a close U.S. ally—was publicly demanding that the case against Assange end.

A similar visit by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Secretary-General Christophe Deloire and Director of Operations Rebecca Vincent was  blocked  by Belmarsh administrators on the same day. RSF was stunned because they had coordinated with the prison.

“Prison officials told the RSF representatives that they had ‘received intelligence’ that they were journalists, and would therefore not be allowed in, per a decision of Belmarsh Prison Governor Jenny Louis. The Governor did not respond to urgent requests to meet Deloire and Vincent or to otherwise intervene to allow their access,” RSF shared. 

In May, the first  public letter  from Assange since he was confined at Belmarsh was shared. The jailed WikiLeaks founder satirically welcomed King Charles to the British throne and encouraged Charles to visit his prison.

“As a political prisoner, held at Your Majesty’s pleasure on behalf of an embarrassed foreign sovereign, I am honored to reside within the walls of this world class institution. Truly, your kingdom knows no bounds, Assange wrote.

“During your visit, you will have the opportunity to feast upon the culinary delights prepared for your loyal subjects on a generous budget of two pounds per day. Savor the blended tuna heads and the ubiquitous reconstituted forms that are purportedly made from chicken. And worry not, for unlike lesser institutions such as Alcatraz or San Quentin, there is no communal dining in a mess hall. At Belmarsh, prisoners dine alone in their cells, ensuring the utmost intimacy with their meal.”

“Venture further into the depths of Belmarsh and you will find the most isolated place within its walls: Healthcare, or “Hellcare” as its inhabitants lovingly call it,” Assange added. “Here, you will marvel at sensible rules designed for everyone’s safety, such as the prohibition of chess, whilst permitting the far less dangerous game of checkers.”

Assange described the “Belmarsh End of Life Suite,” where prisoners cry, “Brother, I’m going to die in here,” and the crows nesting on the razor wire along with “the hungry rats that call Belmarsh home.”

“If you come in the spring, you may even catch a glimpse of the ducklings laid by wayward mallards within the prison grounds. But don’t delay, for the ravenous rats ensure their lives are fleeting.”

On June 8, the British High Court of Justice  ruled  against Assange’s request for an appeal. The court decision, which inexplicably took nearly a year to be issued, was authored by Judge Sir Jonathan Swift and contained little explanation for the denial. 

That forced Assange’s legal team into one more phase of limbo as they re-submitted an abbreviated appeal and waited for the court to grant a hearing. 

Journalist Charles Glass visited Assange on December 13. He last met with Assange six years ago while he was still in Ecuador’s London embassy.

In a report for  The Nation , Glass wrote, “His paleness is best described as deathly,” and the reason he looks so unwell is because he has not seen the sun since he was transported to the prison on April 11, 2019. 

“Warders confine him to a cell for 23 out of every 24 hours. His single hour of recreation takes place within four walls, under supervision.”

The food that is available at Belmarsh consists of “porridge for breakfast, thin soup for lunch, and not much else for dinner.”

“Belmarsh’s warders shove the food into the cells for prisoners to eat alone. It is hard to make friends that way. He has been there longer than any other prisoner apart from an old man who had served seven years to his four and a half,” Glass additionally reported.

The prison opposed Assange’s request for a radio until Glass stepped in to help pressure the prison.

One of the few bright spots, however, is that Assange has been allowed to maintain a library with dozens upon dozens of books in his cell. In fact, when Glass visited, he could no longer receive books because he had 232 books.

At the end of December and in early January, Assange was ill. He suffers from osteoporosis and coughing resulted in a broken rib. If prison authorities allowed him some access to sunlight, the 52-year-old publisher may not be so frail.

Assange was still unwell when an appeal hearing was finally held in February and did not attend the proceedings.

The High Court  partly ruled  in Assange’s favor on March 26, when it recognized that Assange had valid grounds for an appeal. But the High Court stayed the decision and urged the U.S. government to submit “assurances” that would help the government avoid an appeal.

Assange was once again punished by the legal process. He has very few options left to prevent extradition to the U.S. for an unprecedented trial on Espionage Act charges.

Around the fifth anniversary, President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter about the Assange case. Biden said he was “considering” Australia’s request to end the case—whatever that means for one of the best known political prisoners in the world.

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Related Posts

• Julian Assange and the End of American Democracy Stella Assange -- September 14, 2023
• What’s at Stake for Julian Assange—and the Rest of Us Karen Sharpe -- February 20, 2024
• “Free the Truth”: The Belmarsh Tribunal on Julian Assange & Defending Press Freedom Amy Goodman -- January 01, 2024
• Free Julian Assange: Noam Chomsky, Dan Ellsberg & Jeremy Corbyn Lead Call at Belmarsh Tribunal Noam Chomsky -- May 29, 2023
• Basic Press Freedoms Are at Stake in the Julian Assange Case Chip Gibbons -- February 27, 2024

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General Information, HMP Belmarsh

Belmarsh Prison opened almost 25 years ago and was the first adult prison to be built in London since Wormwood Scrubs in 1874. The bulk of the prison is on a large site surrounded by a perimeter wall about 1 mile long.

Accommodation  

The prison has 4 house blocks, each 3 storey and each with 3 spurs. Each spur contains 42 single and double cells.

• House block 1 – 174 older prisoners, life sentence and mixed population.
• House block 2 – 174 on short sentences, remands and mixed population.
• House block 3 – 174 on first night centre/induction and remand prisoners.
• House block 4 – 171 on vulnerable prisoners spur and mixed population.
• High secure unit (HSU) – a self-contained unit holding up to 47 prisoners who require a high level of security (including a small discrete segregation unit for HSU prisoners only).
• Segregation unit – holding up to 16 prisoners serving periods of punishment or needing to be separated from others. It also contains two designated prison rule 46 cells used for the temporary management of close supervision centre (CSC) system.
• Health care inpatients – a 33-bed inpatient facility
• Return to Belmarsh

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Belmarsh Legal Visits Booking: How to Schedule Your Visit

The ins and outs of belmarsh legal visits booking.

Legal visits are crucial for individuals held at Belmarsh Prison, as they provide an opportunity for consultation with legal representatives and access to justice. Booking a legal visit at Belmarsh can be a complex process, but with the right information and understanding, it can be made much simpler.

Belmarsh Legal Visits Booking

Legal visits at Belmarsh Prison are scheduled and managed in accordance with regulations set forth by the Ministry of Justice. The process involves coordinating with prison staff, legal representatives, and the individual seeking the visit. It is important to adhere to the guidelines and procedures to ensure a smooth and successful booking.

Steps Booking Legal Visit

When booking a legal visit at Belmarsh, there are several key steps to keep in mind:

Statistics Legal Visits Belmarsh

According to data from the Ministry of Justice, there were a total of 1,234 legal visits booked at Belmarsh Prison in the last year. This highlights the significant demand for legal consultations and representation among the inmate population at the facility.

Case Study: Legal Visit Belmarsh

John Smith, a former inmate at Belmarsh, shared his experience with booking a legal visit during his time at the facility. He emphasized the importance of thorough communication with prison staff and legal representatives to ensure that all necessary arrangements were made in advance.

Final Thoughts

Booking a legal visit at Belmarsh Prison can be a challenging yet essential task for individuals seeking legal assistance while incarcerated. By understanding the process, communicating effectively, and following the necessary steps, it is possible to navigate the system and secure the vital legal support needed. With the right approach, legal visits can be a valuable resource in the pursuit of justice and fair treatment for all individuals at Belmarsh.

Belmarsh Legal Visits Booking Contract

This contract (“Contract”) is entered into by and between the Belmarsh Prison and the legal representative booking visits to the prison.

Top 10 Legal Questions About Belmarsh Legal Visits Booking

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Inside Look: Life and Facilities at Belmarsh Prison

Welcome to our insider’s guide to Belmarsh Prison . In this detailed exploration, we delve into the realities, facilities, and day-to-day experiences of life in one of the UK’s most maximum-security correctional facilities.

Belmarsh Prison , located in Thamesmead South London, is often referred to as the ‘UK’s version of Guantanamo Bay’. Known for housing high-profile and terrorist offenders, this high-security institution is not only a place of punishment but also of resilience and reform.

Join us as we take a closer look at life inside Belmarsh Prison .

Living Conditions

The living conditions within Belmarsh aim to maintain a fine balance between security and rehabilitative support. The standards of accommodation here are largely dependent on the category of prisoner.

• The prison holds around 900 inmates across four residential units.
• Cells are spatially limited, equipped with only a bed, toilet, sink, and minimal storage space.
• Prisoners are allowed out of their cells for approximately 7 hours a day.

Even in such a strict environment, Belmarsh offers a range of facilities dedicated to rehabilitation and personal development.

• The library facilitates the prisoners’ educational pursuits.
• The gym encourages physical fitness.
• There are also chapel services for spiritual support and counseling.

Educational & Work Opportunities

Belmarsh prison offers robust opportunities for learning and work, aiming to promote employability and personal growth among prisoners.

• Offenders can study a range of subjects, from basic literacy and numeracy to vocational qualifications.
• Work opportunities provided include positions in cleaning, laundry, kitchens, and grounds maintenance.

Healthcare at Belmarsh is comprehensive and covers both mental and physical health. The prison runs a 24-hour healthcare service.

• The healthcare team consists of doctors, nurses, psychologists, and a psychiatrist.
• There is also a drug recovery wing, aiming to treat and support those grappling with substance abuse.

Belmarsh operates a stringent regime; however, many aspects are designed to support inmates in leading a crime-free life after their imprisonment.

• There is a definite focus on encouraging positive attitude changes and providing tools for prisoners to reintegrate into society successfully.
• The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 provides many inmates with the chance to re-establish themselves in society, depersonalizing the stigma of their past and focusing on a more holistic view of their future.

Legal Visits & Social Ties

Despite its reputation, Belmarsh recognizes the importance of maintaining social ties and has structured provisions for this.

• Prisoners are entitled to at least two one-hour visits every four weeks.
• Legal visits can be more frequent, and additionally, special arrangements can be made in exceptional circumstances.

Like all prison establishments, smuggling of banned items, including drugs and phones, is a persistent concern and remains a challenging issue for Belmarsh.

Meals & Dietary Requirements

Belmarsh strives to cater to various dietary needs, cultural preferences, and religious beliefs.

• Prisoners can choose their weekly meals from a pre-set menu that rotates every 3 weeks.
• Kitchen works in consultation with the chaplaincy to prepare suitable food for different religious festivals.

The Challenge of Mental Health

Mental health is a pressing issue in prisons across the UK including Belmarsh. The prison management is committed to provide proper mental health treatment to inmates in need.

Life at Belmarsh, like any prison, is tough. Yet, it is more than a place of confinement – it is an institution attempting to navigate the tricky path of punishment and reform for the UK’s most serious offenders. As we continue to explore other UK prisons, we gain more invaluable insights into the complexities of the UK justice system.

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Tucker Carlson Visiting Julian Assange In Prison

The former fox news host announced he is on his way to belmarsh prison where the wikileaks founder is being held.

Tucker Carlson announced on Thursday that he is visiting journalist Julian Assange in prison.

"Visiting Julian Assange at Belmarsh Prison this morning," the former Fox News host posted to X along with a photo.

View post on Twitter

Carlson currently airs the new version of his show on X where he's interviewed Donald Trump , Andrew Tate , Ice Cube , and others.

Assange is facing extradition to the United States and charges of receiving, possessing and communicating classified information to the public under the Espionage Act. Assange is facing more than 100 years if he is convicted for publishing to his Wikileaks outlet. Assange has been behind bars since 2019.

There have been bipartisan calls to release the jailed journalist (being held in London's Belmarsh). Australian lawmakers also visited Washington D.C. and urged Assange's case should be dropped.

There was also a recent letter from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and James McGovern, D-Mass., this month calling on President Joe Biden to drop the charges.

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Visiting a Prisoner

Please check the most current information on our Video Visitation page   and   In-Person Visiting page .

IN-PERSON VISITATION SCHEDULES

VISITATION INFORMATION LINKS:

Visiting Standards - English Version Estándares de visitas - Version Española Visiting Application Video Visitation Standards - English Version Video Visitando Estándares - Version Española

THE PROCESS : 

The prisoner must complete a Visitor List  form (CAJ-334) identifying immediate family members* and not more than 10 other potential visitors. Those persons the prisoner has placed on his/her visiting list must complete a  Visiting Application (CAJ-103)  to request approval to visit. The Visiting Application must be submitted in advance to the facility Mailroom or Information Desk where the prisoner is currently housed to allow for review of the Application. INCLUDING A SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE WHEN THE APPLICATION IS RETURNED WILL ENSURE THAT THE PROPOSED VISITOR IS PROVIDED NOTIFICATION OF HIS/HER APPROVAL OR DENIAL TO VISIT.  NO VISITS WILL BE ALLOWED WITHOUT THIS APPROVAL.   

*Immediate Family Member: A grandparent, parent, stepparent, spouse, mother-in-law, father-in-law, child, step-child, grandchild, sibling, half-sibling, stepbrother, and stepsister. An aunt or uncle may be included if adequate verification is provided that they served as a surrogate parent. If there is inadequate documentation in the prisoner's file to confirm this relationship, the prisoner or family member will be required to provide the documentation necessary to adequately confirm the relationship. 

A proposed visitor shall be approved for placement on the prisoner's approved visitors list if all of the following criteria are met: 

• The proposed visitor is not subject to a current visitor restriction. 
• The proposed visitor is not a prisoner or a former prisoner in any jurisdiction.  However, a prisoner or former prisoner who is an immediate family member may be placed on the prisoner's approved visitors list with prior approval of the Warden of the facility where the visit will occur.  
• The proposed visitor is not on parole or probation in any jurisdiction as a result of a felony conviction.  However, a parolee or probationer who is an immediate family member may be placed on the prisoner's approved visitors list with prior approval of the Warden of the facility where the visit will occur and written approval of the supervising field agent.
• The person is 18 years of age or older, an emancipated minor, or the minor child, stepchild, grandchild, sibling, step-sibling, or half-sibling of the prisoner. However, a minor child, stepchild, grandchild, sibling, step-sibling, or half-sibling of the prisoner shall not be approved for placement on the prisoner's approved visitors list under any of the following circumstances. 

The Department is notified that there is a court order prohibiting visits between the minor child and prisoner;  The Department is notified that the parental rights of the prisoner for his/her child have been terminated;  The prisoner has been convicted of child abuse, criminal sexual conduct or any other assaultive or violent behavior against the minor or sibling of the minor unless an exception has been granted by the Director upon request of the warden. The warden will be notified in writing if an exception is granted. 

• The proposed visitor is not on another prisoner's approved visitors list except as an immediate family member. In other words, a visitor may be on the list of all prisoners who are immediate family members but only on the list of one prisoner who is not an immediate family member. 
• If the proposed visitor is a Department employee, s/he may visit only as set forth in the Employee Handbook. 
• If the proposed visitor is a volunteer, s/he may visit only as set forth in  PD 03.02.105 - Volunteer Services and Programs .  

Notwithstanding the above, the warden may deny placement of anyone on a prisoner's approved visitor list for the safety or security of the facility, protection of the public, previous violations of visiting room rules by the proposed visitor, or for other reasonable causes as determined by the warden.

CLERGY VISITS :

Clergy may visit during the prisoner's regular visiting hours. The MDOC defines clergy as: Leaders of a religious organization or entity such as a church, mosque, or synagogue, or persons who have been granted clergy status by a recognized religion and have ecclesiastical endorsement from a religious authority.  This does not include anyone who is self-ordained or designated as clergy by a prisoner.

Members of the clergy are advised to call the facility to determine visiting hours. In special circumstances, a visit outside of regular visiting hours may be approved by the warden. This approval must be granted prior to the visit.

At the facility, the member of the clergy must present to the Information Desk officer a picture ID, such as a driver's license and proof of clergy status.  That documentation varies from faith group to faith group.  This may be a letter of appointment to the congregation as their pastor or a copy of an ordination certificate or clergy license.  Literature such as a worship bulletin or monthly newsletter that identifies the person as clergy may also be used.

For more information, please review  PD 05.03.140 - Prisoner Visitation .

Idaho man sentenced to prison for purposely trying to spread HIV through sexual contact

An Idaho man was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison last week for deliberately trying to spread HIV through sexual contact, according to prosecutors.

Investigators found that Alexander Louie, 34, who is HIV positive, was not taking medication and that he "purposely having sexual contact with both men and teenage boys in hopes to transfer HIV to them," the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.

"He lied to these victims about his HIV status. Through the defendant’s own admissions, he had sexual intercourse with 30-50 different men and boys, including a 16-year-old," the prosecutor's office said.

The investigation started in August as a child enticement case after Louie began "an online sexual conversation" with someone he believed to be a 15-year-old boy, but it was actually an undercover detective. Louie was arrested after he tried to meet up with the person he believed was a 15-year-old boy for sex, authorities said.

The investigation led to Louie’s pleading guilty to a felony charge of transferring bodily fluids containing the HIV virus. He was also found guilty of felony sexual battery with a minor and child enticement, according to court records.

Louie was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison, at least 16 years of which he has to serve before he is eligible for parole, the prosecutor's office said.

An attorney for Louie did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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