Thread by @CoffeeAfrique

THREAD
Today marks one month since Mohamud Hassan died just hours after being released without charge from Cardiff Bay Police Station. A movement demanding #Justice4Mohamud has gained momentum as more details emerge about his contact with South Wales Police.
1/16

Family members who saw him describe him returning from police custody bloodied and bruised. A statutory post mortem found that Mohamud Hassan did have injuries to his body and blood on his jacket. An independent post mortem is currently in process.
2/16

It was revealed that 52 police officers came into contact with Mohamud Hassan in a matter of hours whilst in police custody. Senior independent investigator Ian Andrews shared the info with the family, and again during a community reference group. leejasper.blogspot.com/2021/01/exclus…
3/16

His shocking death was met with 4 days of protests outside Cardiff Bay Police station. People shared their own experiences of police racism. Many there had known Hassan personally and were outraged at the news surrounding his death. 4/16
Our major feature: voice.wales/this-is-police

But the family are still waiting for the cops to release Body Cam & CCTV footage of his contact with SWP. It seems likely that no officers involved have been suspended, and neither SWP or the IOPC have sought to explain the injuries. 5/16
leejasper.blogspot.com/2021/01/iopc-f…

Instead, the police said shortly after his death said that their own investigation had shown no signs of misconduct or ‘excessive’ use of force. The IOPC later said that initial findings indicated ‘no physical trauma’ cause of death, but offered no further information. 6/16

Taken as whole, it’s hard not to see the statements from SWP, Police & Crime Commissioner Alun Michael & the IOPC as an exercise in public relations more than it is an effort to keep the family fully informed. 7/16

The family have now launched their own legal fundraiser, and in this You Tube video the Aunt of Mohamud Hassan, who saw his injuries upon return from police custody, can be seen next to his grieving mother and father.
8/16

Lawyer Hillary Brown from Virgo Consultancy who is representing the family has said that she has already requested custody records and other key documents and says that the family were ‘devastated’ when key information was shared with people in a zoom meeting. 9/16

To mark a month since his death, the movement has organised a Twitter storm and online activity. People will gather at 7pm tonight outside Cardiff Bay Police station for a candle-lit vigil to remember the life of the young 24 year old Black man from Cardiff. 10/16

Lee Jasper, from @BameFor who is working with the family, has been posting regular updates on the campaign on his blog He revealed the details around Hassan’s death, that 52 officers came into contact with him & that he had been tasered. 11/16
leejasper.blogspot.com

The reaction from the establishment in Wales has been fairly mooted, especially given the scale of popular anger, particularly within the Black and Asian community of Cardiff. Close to no politicians have demanded body cam footage or pressed the police to be transparent. 12/16

In general politicians have chosen to stick to a script of insisting that the family and those demanding answers wait for the IOPC to conduct its investigation, even though the body is notorious for taking years to report its findings. 13/16

The IOPC forerunner, the IPCC, oversaw the failure to charge any SWP officers over the wrongful Cardiff 3 convictions.
As a small media outlet committed to anti-racism, we have our resources into pressing the police & IOPC over officer suspensions. 14/16

We've also reported from the frontline of the protests, speaking to activists & friends of Mohamud Hassan & those facing harassment by the cops. We published this piece by @BLMCardiff, on police abolition.
voice.wales/if-we-want-a-b…
We'll continue to do what we can. 15/16

We've also reported from the frontline of the protests, speaking to activists & friends of Mohamud Hassan & those facing harassment by the cops. We published this piece by @BLMCardiff, on police abolition.
voice.wales/if-we-want-a-b…
We'll continue to do what we can. 15/16