Man protests from Brazilian jail

Craig Alden is in jail near Brasilia

A British man, who claims he was wrongly imprisoned in Brazil, is due to start a hunger strike on Tuesday.

Craig Alden is in jail near the capital Brasilia after being sentenced to 48 years for alleged abuse of children.

Alden, 34, of Warboys, Cambs, was arrested in July 2002 for offences against children under his care in the Abrigo Home orphanage.

His case is backed by Fair Trials Abroad, but supporters claim the UK Government has failed him.

Supporter Simon Trundle, a clergyman who is heading a campaign to free Alden, said: "Craig is starting a hunger strike from 1 November as a protest against the way in which the British Government and Prime Minister Tony Blair have failed to protect his rights as an innocent person who is unjustly imprisoned in Brazil.

Petition compiled

"Independent legal reviews of the case have concluded that Craig is an innocent man."

He said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had written to his counterpart in Brazil requesting the return of Alden to the UK but the Brazilian Government had refused to comply with the request.

Alden's mother, Maureen, is due to present a petition at Downing Street on Monday 7 November calling for her son to be released.

Earlier this year the Foreign Office said it was representing the views of the Alden family to the Brazilian Government but Brazilian ministers had refused to order Alden's release.

Fair Trials Abroad said Alden, who is married to a Brazilian woman and has a seven-year-old son, had not had a fair trial.

A spokeswoman said a state-appointed lawyer had not presented any defence and a judge had jailed Alden despite hearing only prosecution evidence.