Thursday 23 June 2022 02:26 PM Family fights to free British hotelier locked up in Zanzibar prison alongside ... trends now
The family of a British hotelier and his Italian wife who are locked up in a 'hell hole' prison on the island of Zanzibar after being charged with money laundering are fighting for their release.
Simon Wood, 51, from Preston, UK, and his wife Francesca Scalfari, 45, were jailed in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of east Africa, on 7 June.
The couple, who run the four-star Sharazad Boutique Hotel in Zanzibar, now face 20 years in jail over money laundering charges after they fell out with two investors who had invested in their hotel.
Police shaved Simon's head when he was taken into custody before putting him in a cell with 200 other dangerous inmates, including murderers, at the Kilimani Prison, Wood's family said.
They also said the couple, who have lived on the island for 20 years, have been denied basic needs - including access to water - and relatives haven't been allowed into the jail to see them on several occasions.
The couple's family and friends say their arrest is linked to civil lawsuits brought against them by their former business partners Giovani Viale and Liliana Ferro, dating back to 2017.
Simon Wood, 51, from Preston, UK, and his wife Francesca Scalfari, 45, (pictured in court) were jailed in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of east Africa, on 7 June.
The couple (pictured with their son Luca), who run the four-star Sharazad Boutique Hotel in Zanzibar, now face 20 years in jail over money laundering charges after they fell out with two investors who had invested in their hotel
Simon and Francesca, who have lived on the island for 20 years, have been denied basic needs - including access to water - and relatives haven't been allowed into the jail to see them on several occasions
The couple were jailed in Zanzibar, an island off the coast of east Africa, on 7 June.
Viale and Ferro filed a series of civil lawsuits against Simon and Francesca but every time, the civil courts threw out the claims. The last claim was thrown out in 2019.
But as these matters were later settled in favour of Simon and Francesca, their family and friends are now 'at a loss' to explain why new criminal charges arose earlier this month.
Under local Zanzibar laws, the couple, who have an 11-year-old son Luca, can be kept in jail for eight months without trial.
They managed to put Luca on a plane on his own to flee the island just before they were arrested. He is now staying with his maternal grandparents in Italy.
Francesca, in messages seen by MailOnline, told a close friend of the prison conditions: 'I cannot describe with words how life is inside there daily and I don't want you to be sad knowing the details. But imagine cruel poverty then add jail then add abuse of power.'
'I wish to have the words to describe how I feel. I spend my night in jail crying because during the day we are not allowed to cry or be sad.'
Police shaved Simon's head when he was taken into custody before putting him in a cell with 200 other dangerous inmates, including murderers, at the Kilimani Prison, Simon's family said
Under local Zanzibar laws, the couple, who have an 11-year-old son Luca, can be kept in jail for eight months without trial
The couple managed to put Luca on a plane on his own to flee the island just before they were arrested. He is now staying with his maternal grandparents in Italy.
Francesca's uncle Jim Betteridge, 62, a British ex-pat living in Tuscany, Italy, added Simon and Francesca are being kept in 'primitive' conditions
Simon's mother, Christine Wood, from Preston, Lancashire, told MailOnline she is 'concerned' for her son's welfare.
She said: 'I am very concerned for my son Simon and his Italian wife Francesca who are starting their third week of imprisonment in Zanzibar.
'Now they have been accused of money laundering but are at a loss to know why.
'For them, paradise has quickly turned to hell and until the court declares them "not guilty" they remain in jail.'
Francesca's uncle Jim Betteridge, 62, a British ex-pat living in Tuscany, Italy, added Simon and Francesca are being kept in 'primitive' conditions.
He said: 'A hell hole would be a fairly accurate description.
'There's no food or water provided, they have to buy their water - and any food that's brought in is poked around and probed by the guards.
