Terror detainee released
One of the foreign terror suspects held without charge in the has been freed.
The man, known only as C, has been in prison since December 2001 under the Government’s anti-terrorist legislation.
A statement from the Home Office is expected shortly.
Egyptian-born C was among a group of foreign nationals being held in the UK without trial.
His release comes as Home Secretary Charles Clarke comes under increasing pressure over the status of foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorist activities.
Yesterday, Palestinian Abu Rideh, who was also being held without trial, was granted bail. He will remain in custody at Broadmoor hospital while his mental condition is assessed.
The Home Office maintains that all the men held under these emergency powers pose a genuine risk to the security of the UK, but Mr Clarke has accepted that the current arrangements need to be reviewed.
Last year the House of Lords ruled that the decision to hold the men without trial was incompatible with European human rights legislation.
Mr Clarke has since said that the Government is seeking assurances from the men’s home countries that they will not face torture or the death penalty if they were to be deported from the UK.
In addition, he told the House of Commons that the Government would be looking to introduce legislation for “control orders”. These could be applied to suspects, both British and foreign, and could place them under house arrest, forbid contact with named individuals and subject them to tagging, phone tapping and other restrictions.
But, civil liberties groups have also expressed grave concerns about these plans, arguing that they would breach Britain’s human rights obligations.
