A LIVINGSTON MP has called for the release of a pregnant woman who is imprisoned in Tenerife.
Hannah Bardell has called on the Foreign Secretary to intervene on the release of a seven-month pregnant Scottish woman after she was sentenced to four months in prison for two unpaid fines.
The fines, incurred in 2021, total 420 euros.
On September 22 in the House of Commons, Bardell asked: “Can we have a debate on the treatment of British citizens in Spanish prisons?
“My Livingston constituent Jamielee Fielding is nearly seven months pregnant and has gestational diabetes, but despite having paid the fine, the Spanish authorities in Tenerife are holding her, removing vital food and medication, and breaching her human rights.
“She has a very short window to get home to have her baby.
“Would the Leader of the House press the Foreign Secretary to help get Jamielee home, and to meet me so that I can do everything I can to make sure that she is safe, healthy, and home as soon as possible?”
Fielding, who travelled to Tenerife for a family holiday, was arrested on arrival in the country on August 19.
She was deemed a fugitive, having not paid two fines she incurred in September 2021, which have since been paid.
Fielding said she intended to pay the fine on arrival at the nearest police station, but she was immediately transferred to prison in El Rosario in Santa Cruz De Tenerife.
Her father, who had arrived a few days earlier, was not informed by Spanish authorities that she had been taken to prison, nor was he informed of the prison’s location. The British Embassy was also not informed.
Fielding has reported that she is required to wear a sign around her neck reading “I do not speak Spanish” while in prison, and alleges she has had dietary requirements and vital medication withdrawn.
Bardell went on: “Jamielee is seven months pregnant, and we have grave concerns that the health consequences, stress, and poor treatment she has received while in prison could have a harmful effect on this vulnerable young woman and her unborn baby’s development. Jamielee is due to give birth in 8 weeks’ time and it is imperative that she is released immediately from this disproportionate sentence and brought back to Scotland to be with her family.”
On September 28, after weeks of miscommunication with the Spanish authorities, Fielding was transferred to an open prison, which she stated she was told to find her own way to.
She alleged that when she was taken to the police station, a Spanish police officer kicked her in the shin and when she asked for water, she was given toilet water to drink.
Bardell said that she is deeply concerned for Fielding’s wellbeing and further commented:”The way Jamielee has been treated in Spain has been disgusting. This should not be tolerated and an investigation by the Foreign Office must look into the way British citizens are treated in Spain.
"Whilst my constituent is under the care of the Spanish authorities, she must be treated with dignity, care, and respect under the European Union’s Charter of Fundamental Rights”
