After his arrest, he was initially confined for ten months in the maximum security Paremoremo Prison where he was placed on a "non-association regime". While Zaoui and his supporters have characterised this as being in solitary confinement; this was dismissed as a "myth" by the Department of Corrections. However, in October 2003 his case was reviewed, and citing the "likely length of time before legal proceedings conclude", the Department of Corrections transferred him to the medium security Auckland Remand Prison where he was placed on a ‘normal association regime".