No return to jail for terror suspect
An Algerian terror suspect will remain under virtual house arrest after the Home Office lost an appeal to have him jailed.
Home Secretary Charles Clarke wanted to have the man, known only as G, sent back to jail, claiming he had breached the strict bail conditions imposed upon him when he was released in April 2004.
G was allowed to return home from Belmarsh prison after officials at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) heard how his mental state had deteriorated badly.
But he was only allowed contact with his solicitor, doctor, daughter and wife and was to be electronically tagged.
Officials claimed that G had contacted two people he was not permitted to, but a Siac tribunal ruled today that there was not enough evidence to lock the man up.
Mr Justice Collins, sitting at the tribunal, said he had “the gravest of suspicions” that the bail conditions had been broken, but that that was “insufficient to prove there was a breach”.
“We are not satisfied to the necessary standard that the Secretary of State has proved a breach and in the circumstances we will take no action towards the revocation of bail,” he said.
Afterwards Mr Clarke admitted that he was unhappy with the decision to continue with the present bail conditions.
“I am disappointed with today’s decision by the court to allow G to remain on bail,” the Home Secretary said.
“Every step will be taken to continue to monitor G’s bail conditions closely so that any further breach can be dealt with swiftly and appropriately to ensure public safety.”
G is alledged to have links with the Salafist Group for Call and Combat, which is thought to be part of the Al-Qaeda global terror network.
