Rajaiee Ali wrote a letter to his father citing numerous abuses by Trinidad and Tobago Prison Services. The escaped prisoner has claimed to have been religiously persecuted, tortured and subject to inhumane treatment. This is not the first time allegations have been leveled against the Prison Services.
Rajaiee's father, Imam Hassan Ali took the letter, delivered around 6:30pm on Sunday, to the Trinidad Express. Imam Ali confirmed the handwriting and signature was that of Rajaiee.
Prison Services claimed that Rajaiee was a ring leader in the November 2006 uprising, where prisoners protested against the living conditions at Golden Grove Prison. They were then housed in the ultra secure, disassociation section otherwise know as Guantanamo Bay.
Rajainee stated in the letter that he was in fact the one to make peace and calm the prisoners down. He added that he kept the peace when prison officers refused to work, assisted in an exercise where inmates handed over 400 weapons and was never caught with drugs, weapons or any other contraband. He also claimed he would walk with Rougier along the corridor to ensure that no one "threw filth on him".
"We are not convicts, we are not prisoners, we are civilians, we are innocent until proven guilty," he added.
His father had previously told the Express that the escape was actually a protest by the inmates of "inhumane conditions", the final straw being an inmate with tuberculosis reportedly being placed at the section.
"I didn't want to escape God know (sic), but this was my last resort, my only strategy to expose your oppressive regime, so I took the risk for the sake of my people," wrote Ali. Saying that the prison officials were turning "our youths into monsters" and that he had received several death threats from the authorities, Ali added, "God give life and takes life and I prefer to die than sit down and be oppressed."
"Of I course I don't want to be a fugitive, I have a family and love ones who cares about me (sic), I have a life ahead of me, I'm only 21 years."
