Charles Bronson, one of Britain's longest-serving prisoners, has slammed prison as a "total joke" and pledged to expose his “unlawful sentence”.
The 73-year-old secured an oral parole hearing in the coming months as part of his ninth bid for freedom.
The Parole Board confirmed this week that Bronson’s case will advance beyond a paper-based review to a full in-person examination, where evidence can be tested directly and witnesses questioned.
As part of the hearing, he could be invited to address the panel personally and respond to questions about his conduct and future intentions.
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It will also allow the Parole Board to undertake a thorough assessment of whether he poses a risk to the public before any release decision is made.
Ahead of the hearing, the 73-year-old fumed at the nature of his imprisonment.
"I am 23 years over my tariff. I am forever denied progress. I am forever kept in solitary (confinement),” Bronson said.
“They won't even take me off Cat A (highest security classification for prisoners)."
Charles Bronson, one of Britain's longest-serving prisoners, has slammed prison as a 'total joke' and pledged to expose his 'unlawful sentence'
|GETTY
The prisoner, who also goes by Charles Salvador, pledged to challenge what he considers unjust treatment during the upcoming proceedings.
"I have to expose this unlawful sentence and treatment. It's now gone on for far too long, it's become a total joke," he wrote.
Bronson had requested that this year's parole proceedings be conducted publicly, though this application was turned down.
However, with the case now advancing to an oral stage, he may seek to renew that request.
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The 73-year-old has secured an oral parole hearing in the coming months as part of his ninth bid for freedom
|GETTY
Gurdeep Singh, the solicitor representing Bronson, described the move to an oral hearing as an important development.
"My hopes for the hearing are that Mr Salvador can finally have some progression," he said.
Mr Singh highlighted that his client has spent years in isolation without any clear pathway forward.
"He has been languishing in solitary confinement for years now without any future plans for him,” the lawer stressed.
The infamous convict has spent more than fifty years behind bars
| PA“With the right support in place, there is no reason why he should not be released into the community, allowing Mr Salvador to continue focusing on his charity work with the Born Art Foundation," the solicitor added.
Bronson was first imprisoned in 1974 after committing armed robbery at the age of 22.
The infamous prisoner’s time behind bars has been marked by repeated violence, including 11 hostage-taking incidents across nine separate sieges.
His victims ranging from prison governors and medical staff to his own legal representative.
These offences resulted in his original sentence being extended to life imprisonment.
In 2000, he received a discretionary life term with a four-year minimum after holding a prison teacher captive at HMP Hull for 44 hours.
His most recent conviction came in 2014 for assaulting a prison governor, though he has now gone 12 years without a violent offence.
No date has yet been confirmed for the hearing.
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