Nicholas Bidar, a prisoner serving an indefinite sentence under the now-abolished Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) scheme, has renounced his British citizenship and requested deportation to Egypt as his only remaining chance for freedom. Bidar, 39, has spent more than 17 years in prison—nearly a decade beyond the minimum eight-year tariff imposed when he was sentenced at age 21. His case highlights ongoing concerns about the IPP scheme and the challenges faced by those still serving such sentences.

Bidar was originally convicted in 2008 for a series of robberies and for using a firearm to resist arrest. While incarcerated, he accrued further convictions for assaults and escaped custody at one point. Despite this record, Bidar maintains that he has reformed and poses no risk to the public, asserting that the extended detention and high-security categorization have prevented his progress towards release. He has appealed multiple times for transfer to open conditions but remains classified as a category A prisoner, the highest security level, at HMP Manchester.

The IPP sentences, introduced as a measure for offenders judged to pose a continuing threat, were abolished in 2012 but not applied retroactively. As a result, almost 2,400 prisoners remain incarcerated under these indefinite terms without a clear release date. The scheme has been widely criticized for contributing to poor mental health among inmates and linked to numerous suicides. The United Nations has described the sentences as a form of “psychological torture.” Despite these concerns, successive governments have declined calls to resentence or release remaining IPP prisoners.

Bidar became the first IPP prisoner to have a public parole hearing in 2024, during which the Parole Board acknowledged that his category A status impeded his rehabilitation and urged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to intervene. However, after over two years, no changes have been made. Bidar says his continued detention under these conditions has taken a severe toll on his wellbeing, compelling him to renounce British citizenship in hopes of being deported to Egypt, where he intends to build a new life with his father.

The UK government’s current policy includes the Tariff-Expired Removal Scheme, which considers deportation for foreign offenders once their minimum term is completed. Labour has pledged to increase removals of such offenders as a cost-saving measure and to alleviate prison overcrowding. Bidar, a former dual British-Egyptian national, has appealed directly to the MoJ to permit his deportation, stressing that he is incurring significant taxpayer expense—estimated at over £100,000 annually—and sees no path to release within the UK system. He warns that should the MoJ block his removal, he risks becoming stateless and facing indefinite incarceration.

An MoJ spokesperson declined to comment on Bidar’s specific case but reiterated that the abolition of IPP sentences was appropriate and that steps are being taken to support affected offenders. Meanwhile, Bidar’s situation underscores ongoing debates about indefinite sentences, prisoner rights, and the complexities surrounding citizenship and deportation policies in the context of criminal justice reform.