Extremist cleared of ricin charges can be deported
AN ALGERIAN terrorist who was acquitted of involvement in the al-Qaeda ricin plot can be deported from Britain, a special court ruled yesterday.
The 35-year-old man, who can be named only as Y, was described by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission as “an Islamist extremist of long standing who has significant terrorist-group connections”.
Mr Justice Ouseley, the commission chairman, said that a key factor in his ruling was the changing political situation in Algeria, which has embarked on a reconciliation process at the end of a bloody civil war.
A Charter of Peace and Reconciliation was signed this year and a decree passed granting an amnesty to thousands of terrorists and Islamist extremists. More than 2,000 people have been freed from jail since March.
Tony Blair met President Bouteflika of Algeria in London last month and they discussed the return of suspected terrorists. Britain has received assurances from Algeria that they will not be ill-treated but no “memorandum of understanding” has been signed.
Gareth Peirce, Y’s solicitor, said that he faced being returned to a country where he had been tortured. She claimed that the ruling had “terrifying implications” for all refugees in Britain who had fled inhumane treatment. She said: “In one fell swoop the UK has undermined its binding obligations to oppose torture on the basis of a diplomatic nod and a wink.”
Three jurors who helped to acquit Y issued a statement expressing their disappointment at the decision. They said: “We, as a jury, acquitted him of all charges and expected that on his release he could begin to rebuild his life in this country. We have had our eyes opened to such an unfair and unjust sequence of events orchestrated by the authorities that we feel compelled to speak out. This is contrary to anything we thought could be possible in a democratic, free society.”
Y is expected to appeal against the commission ruling.
The 35-year-old man, who can be named only as Y, was described by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission as “an Islamist extremist of long standing who has significant terrorist-group connections”.
Mr Justice Ouseley, the commission chairman, said that a key factor in his ruling was the changing political situation in Algeria, which has embarked on a reconciliation process at the end of a bloody civil war.
A Charter of Peace and Reconciliation was signed this year and a decree passed granting an amnesty to thousands of terrorists and Islamist extremists. More than 2,000 people have been freed from jail since March.
Tony Blair met President Bouteflika of Algeria in London last month and they discussed the return of suspected terrorists. Britain has received assurances from Algeria that they will not be ill-treated but no “memorandum of understanding” has been signed.
Gareth Peirce, Y’s solicitor, said that he faced being returned to a country where he had been tortured. She claimed that the ruling had “terrifying implications” for all refugees in Britain who had fled inhumane treatment. She said: “In one fell swoop the UK has undermined its binding obligations to oppose torture on the basis of a diplomatic nod and a wink.”
Three jurors who helped to acquit Y issued a statement expressing their disappointment at the decision. They said: “We, as a jury, acquitted him of all charges and expected that on his release he could begin to rebuild his life in this country. We have had our eyes opened to such an unfair and unjust sequence of events orchestrated by the authorities that we feel compelled to speak out. This is contrary to anything we thought could be possible in a democratic, free society.”
Y is expected to appeal against the commission ruling.
posted by zibmac at 11:09 AM
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