Urgent UK intervention needed for Lee Murray clemency appeal

Human rights groups are calling on the UK government to urgently intervene on behalf of British citizen Lee Murray, who has now spent 19 years in a Moroccan prison, amid reports that over 20,000 prisoners may be pardoned this Wednesday as part of the annual Throne Day celebrations.

Lee Murray, a former MMA fighter, was convicted in Morocco of a crime committed on UK soil after the UK was unable to extradite him. His prosecution was widely believed to have been encouraged by UK diplomatic pressure, a highly unusual move that raises serious concerns about the UK’s use of foreign jurisdictions as proxies for domestic prosecutions.

Despite nearly two decades behind bars and multiple mass pardons over the years, Lee has never received a single day of clemency, even though most of his co-defendants have already been released. His family believes this may be due to a standing position by the UK government, or Morocco awaiting an explicit diplomatic signal from London.

Lee’s wife, Nicola Murray, said:

“Lee is suffering serious health problems after 19 years in harsh conditions. He’s never even held his granddaughter. Other prisoners with far more serious convictions have been pardoned. Why is Lee always left out? We are begging the UK government to help us bring him home before it’s too late.”

Due Process International and Detained in Dubai are supporting the Murray family in their calls to the UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, and Special MENA Representative Hamish Falconer, urging them to issue a formal statement in support of clemency and to deliver a diplomatic note to Moroccan authorities without delay.

“We’ve seen convicted terrorists and killers released early from UK prisons”, Radha Stirling said in a statement, “and Morocco has pardoned offenders of all kinds, yet Lee Murray remains imprisoned after 19 years. The UK effectively outsourced his prosecution, and now it must step up and support clemency. The UK was highly conflicted when it pushed a foreign country to prosecute its own citizen for ordinary crimes committed on UK soil. The country has a duty to its own citizens and we are calling on the British government to support Lee’s clemency request. He deserves a chance to rebuild his life”.

— Radha Stirling, Founder of Due Process International and Detained in Dubai

Members of the public can help by contacting the UK officials below and urging them to support clemency for Lee:

· David Lammy MP (Foreign Secretary):
📧 david.lammy.mp@parliament.uk

· Shabana Mahmood MP (Justice Secretary):
📧 shabana.mahmood.mp@parliament.uk

· Hamish Falconer MP (Special Representative for the MENA region):
📧 hamish.falconer.mp@parliament.uk

📢 Suggested message:

You can also:

· Share on social media using the hashtag #FreeLeeMurray

· Tag MPs, journalists, and rights groups

· Sign and share the petition