Morocco urged to release sixth jailed Briton

Campaigners were yesterday calling for the release of a sixth Briton jailed in Morocco on "suspect" drugs charges who missed out on a mass pardon because he was transferred to the UK in February.

Five Britons were among 9,459 prisoners, including 293 foreigners, released by Morocco's King Mohammed on Friday to mark the birth of his son, Prince Hassan. Four were in jail in Rabat and one in Tangiers. But Paul Smith, 38, sentenced to 10 years in 1996 after a large quantity of cannabis was found sealed in the hull of the boat on which he was working, remains in Wandsworth Prison. He was transferred on compassionate grounds following a deal between the British and Moroccan governments.

Yesterday Stephen Jakobi, the director of Fair Trials Abroad which has been campaigning for the release of four of the six men, described the failure to release Smith as "shameful".

"It is up to the Moroccan government to release him, but it is up to the Foreign Office to jump up and down until he is released," he said. "Just because he is in Wandsworth I don't see why he shouldn't be released. He had every right to be freed."

Smith – who began a hunger strike in January over "injustice and prison conditions" in Morocco – says he knew nothing about the drugs. It was his third visit to the country and he had complained about customs harassment on the first two.

Steve Bryant, who was jailed for 10 years in March 1993 after cannabis was found in his cargo, was among the five released, and Mr Jakobi said he was making his own way back to Britain yesterday.

Of the other four released, the Foreign Office refused to confirm their names, but Mr Jakobi confirmed two of them as Paul Humble and Gregory Saxby from Eastbourne.

Humble and Saxby were each sentenced to 10 years in 1998 after a large amount of cannabis was found in a boat they were returning to Malta from Morocco, and have been supported by Mr Jakobi.

The two men arrived at Heathrow airport yesterday afternoon, Mr Jakobi said. "Their convictions were suspect, to say the least, and they most certainly did not receive fair trials," he added.

"Steve Bryant is the oldest case that we have in Fair Trials Abroad. We've been battling for him for something like eight years. I've flown to Morocco twice over the years to plead with top officials for an examination of his case.

"There's no evidence he was guilty of anything – it's a typical lorry driver's case."

King Mohammed will also be reducing the jail sentences of another 38,529 prisoners.