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By Mark Redfern & SC Cook

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in Wales have refused to say why crucial video footage of Mohamud Hassan’s final moments cannot be released to his parents and loved ones, leaving the family feeling “sick and tired”. 

The IOPC contacted voice.wales with a statement following the release of an article on the anniversary of the death of Mohamud Hassan, the young Black man who died last year just hours after he was detained by South Wales Police and who told witnesses he had been assaulted by officers.

*Cover image, Justice for Mohamud Hassan protest, by Tom Davies

The statement from IOPC Director for Wales, Catrin Evans, said that their investigation into Mr Hassan’s death was “well advanced and nearing completion” and that a “substantial report” was being finalised. 

Ms Evans added their thoughts were with Mr Hassan’s family but did not give a clear commitment on when they would share the footage with the family, only saying that the IOPC was working to do so “as soon as we are able.” They also said they needed to “safeguard the inquest into his death,” implying that sharing footage now would jeopardise the hearing. A family spokesperson, quoted in full below, said the refusal “has no basis in law or policy.” 

The IOPC added that they had kept the family “updated on the progress of what has been a detailed and complex investigation,” something which is disputed by the family themselves, who have accused the IOPC of a cover up and of failing to properly inform them of developments.  

Ms Evans also confirmed that investigations into all police officers in relation to the death are still ongoing, several months since they were started. 

But the IOPC did not answer subsequent questions on why the family could not see the video footage now and who other than IOPC officials had seen the footage. Their press officer simply referred back to the original statement, and could not guarantee when the family could see the footage or say why it would jeopardise the inquiry. 

Reacting to the news, the Justice for Mohamud Hassan campaign spokesperson, Lee Jasper, said: “The family are sick and tired of being given the run-around by the IOPC. The IOPC’s stubborn and inexplicable refusal to hand over the bodycam has no basis in law or policy.” 

He said the Hassan family believed that both the IOPC and South Wales Police were seeking to manage public opinion and the likely outrage that would result in the family receiving copies of the videos.

“Secondly,” Mr Jasper said, “the only two organisations we know who’s seen the police bodycam footage of Mohamud’s final hours on this earth are South Wales Police and the IOPC.” 

He said this could allow the police to “construct plausible denial and develop their legal defence.”

He continued:”Meanwhile, the family is left to suffer the nightmare of imagining every day for the last year precisely what happened to Mohamud.” 

“The first time the family will see this footage, the way things are going, may well be at the Inquest in May. This will plunge them into the emotional turmoil of that dreadful night on the 9th of January 2021 and bring an emotional crisis precisely when they need all their strength. This is barbaric.”

Pressure has been growing on the IOPC to release the video footage to the family. 

On the day of the anniversary of Mohamud’s death, Heledd Fychan, the Plaid Cymru Senedd member for South Wales Central, backed calls for the Hassan family to be given access to police body camera and CCTV footage relating to his death. 

Speaking to S4C’s Newyddion programme on the one year anniversary last Sunday, Ms Fychan said that the IOPC’s decision to withhold bodycam and CCTV footage “is causing great pain to the family” and that they “need answers.”

Ms Fychan later shared the clip from Plaid Cymru’s official Twitter feed with accompanying text which said the MS “has echoed calls by Mohamud’s family for bodycam and CCTV footage to be disclosed.” 

“I extend my deepest sympathies to the family,” Ms Fychan told Newyddion. “The fact that so many questions remain unanswered a year later is agonising for the family. Clearly, we need a thorough investigation, which does seem to be happening. But we also need answers. Withholding bodycam and CCTV footage is causing great pain to the family.” 

But other Welsh politicians, who either represent Cardiff communities where Mohamud Hassan was from or the area where he died, have been notably quiet. 

On the day of the anniversary, despite posting 10 public social media posts, the Cardiff South and Penarth MP Stephen Doughty did not appear to use any of them to acknowledge the anniversary, let alone echo any of the Hassan family’s demands. 

The Welsh Labour Senedd Member for Cardiff South & Penarth Vaughan Gething also appeared to remain silent, as did his colleagues Jenny Rathbone the MS for Cardiff Central and Jane Hutt, the Welsh Government Minister for Social Justice. 

The Tory South Wales Central MS Joel James also made no statement and neither did the Plaid Cymru regional MS for South Wales Central, Rhys ab Owen, though the party itself did call for the footage to be released. 

The family of Mohamud Hassan had called on people to engage in a social media storm on Sunday 9th January to raise awareness of the issue and demand video footage be released to them. 

Writing on The National website, former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood said the Hassan family had been given “no answers” one year on and criticised the IOPC for being too cosy with the police.  

She described their relationship like “One big family,” which she said explained why no officer had been suspended over the death “and why Mohamud’s family has yet to receive any of the bodycam footage of his arrest or CCTV footage from within Cardiff Bay police station during his detention.”

On the anniversary, a protest was held outside the Cardiff Bay Police station where Mohamud was detained, attended by family members of the Cardiff 3  and Black Lives Matter activists among others. Following Mohamud’s death a year ago, hundreds poured onto the streets every day for four days, directing their anger at the police. 

Mohamud Hassan was arrested at his home on Newport Rd on 8th January 2021 over a suspected breach of the peace, but was released without charge the following day. He died hours later. 

Speaking two days later, on 11th January, Mohamud’s aunt told the BBC: “He was released on Saturday morning with lots of wounds on his body and lots of bruises… He didn’t have these wounds when he was arrested, and when he came out of Cardiff Bay police station, he had them.”

A coroner said in March 2021 that the cause of death was ‘unacertained’ and a full inquest is set to open at the end of May. A staggering 52 officers came into contact with Mohamud and 6 officers with South Wales Police are currently under investigation for misconduct, including for excessive use of force and ignoring his pleas for help. 

The family said last Sunday that the circumstances surrounding his death were “suspicious” and renewed their calls to see all police and CCTV footage relating to Mohamud Hassan.

“We have repeatedly requested that the IOPC provide the family and our legal team access to the video showing the final hours of Mohamud’s life,” they said. “Despite our repeated requests for access to film recording of the last hours of Mohamud’s life, the family have been consistently denied access by the IOPC.”

The family have taken the step of demanding that the UK Government’s Attorney General Suella Braverman and UK Home Secretary Priti Patel compel the IOPC to release the footage to the Hassan family immediately. They say all families who suffer a death in police custody should have a legal right to see the footage.

The inquest is due to begin on 27th May 2021 at Pontypridd Coroners Court and will be accessible online.  The full IOPC report is due to be shared with the family and their legal team ahead of this.