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Line 1: Abdul Hai is a former ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]) member of [[Camden London Borough Council|Camden Council]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Osley |first1=Richard |title=Cabinet member Abdul Hai to step down from council |url=https://www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/cabinet-member-abdul-hai-to-step-down-from-council |website=Islington Tribute |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref> He has a Bangladeshi Muslim family background.<ref name="topping">{{cite web |last1=Topping |first1=Alexandra |title=‘I need to own my narrative’: man cleared of racist murder in 1995 on years of abuse |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/30/man-acquitted-racist-murder-1995-abuse-abdul-hai |website=The Guardian |access-date=1 October 2024}}</ref> ==Murder charge, acquittal, and aftermath== On 13th August 1994, when Hai was 19 years old (TODO: cite) [[Murder of Richard Everitt|Richard Everitt]], a white boy from [[Somers Town, London|Somers Town]], was stabbed to death by a gang of Bangladeshi boys (TODO: cite). Many of the perpetrators fled to Bangladesh (TODO: cite), and charges were only brought against three boys alleged to have been involved: Hai, Badrul Miah, and Showat Akbar. Hai was jailed for six weeks in [[Feltham Young Offenders Institution]], where he says he overheard other prisoners plotting to set fire to him with petrol.(TODO: cite Guardian article) At trial, Miah and Akbar were convicted (for murder and violent disorder, respectively), but Hai was acquitted at the direction of the judge, [[Heather Steel|Mrs Justice Steel]], who ruled that Hai had [[no case to answer]].(TODO: cite) A note purportedly written by one of the jurors at the trial and later given to Miah's lawyers was presented at Miah's appeal against his murder conviction. According to the note, the majority of the jurors exhibited an "underlying prejudice of some description" towards the Bangaldeshi boys before them and presumed their guilt, including Hai's, before any evidence was presented. The note claimed that the majority of the jury were convinced of Hai's guilt despite there being "absolutely no evidence to support this at all", and would have convicted him had the judge not directed them not to.(TODO: cite) Hai has repeatedly said that he had no involvement whatsoever with the murder at was not present at the scene.(TODO: cite Guardian & https://www.abdulhai.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/abdulhailearnmore.pdf) On his personal website, he writes that the "miscarriage of justice" he experienced left him "determined to make the world a better place", and that this is what motivated him to join the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]. According to The Guardian, Hai once successfully sued to have a book pulped that had repeated claims against him, and has had to request edits of [[Wikipedia]] content to make his innocence clear. In August 2024, the thirtieth anniversary of the murder, far-right activist [[Tommy Robinson]] stated on [[Twitter|X]] that Miah, Akbar and Hai had been 'convicted' of the killing. Hai reported the post on X, and wrote to Robinson stating he had been acquitted. Robinson deleted the post but reposted a screenshot of it on August 16th; Hai's lawyers reported this, then sent a letter to X on August 28th demanding its deletion. X deleted the post on 6 September, a day before the letter's deadline. Speaking to the Guardian after the deletion of the Robinson's post, Hai said X had not done enough to uphold its own policies. He also said "Never in my wildest dreams did I think that this would continue for the rest of my life. That I just have to continue confronting this and justifying my innocence is something I find quite difficult to comprehend. Even though I was acquitted, I feel like I’ve been given a life sentence."(TODO: cite Guardian) ==Political career== TODO Links to integrate: | |||