 A FOREIGN terrorist suspect detained without trial for more than three years was released on bail yesterday, while another eight could be freed as early as today, a special court heard. The Algerian national, known only as A, was driven away by police from a Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) hearing in London last night, and is thought to have been reunited with his wife and five children at his home.| I always love a happy ending! I'm just a little misty, here. *sniffle* |
He will be subject to 11 bail conditions, including electronic tagging, a curfew between 7pm and 7am, and stringent restrictions on who he can meet or allow into his home.| How is this different from being in jail? Except for the expense of watching him all the time, I mean... |
A further eight terrorist suspects, who have also been detained without charge for up to three and a half years, were to be granted bail "in principle", the SIAC chairman, Mr Justice Ouseley, said yesterday. Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, had agreed a month ago to free four of the men held at Belmarsh but their release had been delayed in a row over bail conditions. They could be freed as early as today - only days before the emergency terror laws under which they were detained expire on Sunday night. Those who may be freed include Abu Qatada, a 44-year old Palestinian-born Muslim cleric who has been described by an SIAC judge as "al-Qaeda's ambassador in Europe" and a "truly dangerous individual".| "But we're springing him anyway. His right to plan my society's demise trumps my society's right to not be plotted against." |
The other named detainee is Jordanian-born Mahmoud Suliman Ahmed Abu Rideh, 33, a Palestinian, who was alleged to have made threats to carry out a bombing and to have been involved with associates of Osama bin Laden in Britain and abroad. He is currently at Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital. The others are known only as B, E, H, K, P and Q. A tenth man, known as G, is already under house arrest and was due to have his bail conditions relaxed last night. | C, D, and F having been determined to be un-Islamic... |
Each of the men would be subjected to a "matrix" of bail conditions agreed on an individual basis by the judge. Earlier, Mr Justice Ouseley criticised Mr Clarke's treatment of the men. The judge said: "We have the absurd situation here today where three of the four men have been in detention longer than they needed to be while we argue over the precise degree of freedom."| My sympathy meter is in the shop, sorry. |
In December, the Law Lords condemned anti-terrorism laws used to hold the foreign terrorist suspects indefinitely without charge, saying they breached human rights legislation and discriminated against foreigners. The government said then it accepted the ruling but would continue to hold the men until new laws were introduced. Mr Justice Ouseley told A during the hearing: "It's very important for your own wellbeing and the well-being of your family - with whom you will shortly be reunited - that you keep to these bail terms."| "Pretty please? And stop looking at me like that." |
The conditions, based on proposals handed to the court yesterday morning by the Home Office, closely resemble the controversial proposals being fought out last night in parliament. The suspect must wear an electronic tag and live at his home address, observing a curfew. Among other bail conditions, A will have to allow police and other officials to carry out searches, but his defence team won a concession that a female officer would have to be present if A's Muslim wife was at home alone. He will be restricted on who he can allow into his home. He will be allowed only one fixed telephone line, and mobile phones and computers which can access the internet will be banned from his home.| No Rantburg! O the humanity! |
He will be required to notify the Home Office if he intends to leave the country, limited to one bank account, barred from transferring money without the Home Office's consent and prohibited from buying, selling or procuring communications or computer equipment. Bail conditions for the other detainees will be closely based on those imposed on A. Two terrorist suspects who are detained at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire, Abu Rideh, who has been detained since December 2001, and detainee B, are due to be brought before the SIAC today. |