Activist faces reimprisonment 'as wrists too small for electronic tag'
A 77-year-old activist from Bristol, United Kingdom, is staring at a return to prison as her wrists are too small for an electronic tag, The Guardian reported. Gaie Delap was first jailed in August for taking part in disruptive Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 in November 2022. She was released on a home detention curfew but couldn't be tagged due to a health condition and unavailability of appropriately sized devices.
Arrest warrant issued for untagged activist
An arrest warrant has been issued for Delap after the tagging company alerted prison authorities that she "could not be monitored." "This is very cruel," her brother, Mick Delap, who spoke on her behalf as curfew restrictions prevent her from media contact, said. "Gaie is sitting at home terrified with her suitcase packed waiting for a knock on the door from police. She has been unable to eat or sleep because of this," he added.
Health issues and system failures raise concerns
Mick claimed his sister had various health issues and still had no feeling in one finger after being handcuffed for a hospital visit during her time in prison. She can't wear an ankle tag due to the risk of deep vein thrombosis. Four of the five individuals with whom Delap was incarcerated have been released early, with three successfully tagged. The tagging system is operated by Electronic Monitoring Services under a Ministry of Justice contract.
MP criticizes disproportionate sentence and tagging issue
Delap's MP, Carla Denyer, slammed her sentence as disproportionate for peaceful actions to highlight climate threats. Denyer said she was outraged by the tagging issue: "My jaw hit the floor when I heard about this case. It's beyond absurd." She reached out to prisons minister Lord Timpson over what she believes is an excessive crackdown on climate protesters. The Ministry of Justice and Serco are now investigating the tagging issue.
