Hope for Stephen still in Tunisian jail 3 months after bar brawl over Saddam’s execution

April 19 2007

East London Advertiser

LAWYERS fighting for the release of a man languishing in a North African jail for three months after a brawl over Saddam Hussein's execution were hopeful this week that he could soon be released.

Stephen Brown was arrested in the Tunisian resort of Hammamet after the fight with an Austrian, who ended up with a broken leg in a hotel bar on New Year's Eve over remarks about Saddam.

The 55-year-old from Limehouse, in London's East End, who was on holiday with his wife at the time of the incident, was found guilty of assault by a Tunisian court on April 10.

But now he faces a second trial before a higher court for ABH.

Saima Hirji, a solicitor for Fair Trials Abroad, believes he could be out of jail in a few weeks.

"We are speaking to his lawyer regularly, who believes he'll be released soon," she told the Advertiser.

"Even if Stephen is found guilty again, he has already served three months on remand."

Statements taken by Stephen's wife Denise from other holidaymakers who were in the bar were likely to help Stephen's case. The Austrian was said to have been "very provocative."

But Denise was not getting her hopes up that Stephen would be home soon.

She said: "For the last two or three months we have been thinking we might see him in a few weeks-and then it doesn't happen.

"I just don't know which way to turn. We are getting nowhere."

The Austrian involved in the bar brawl she recalled was "so drunk he couldn't stand up.