LONDON: A Briton arrested in France on suspicion of terror offenses is an aid worker, not a Daesh member, an advocacy group has said.
The unidentified 37-year-old man was detained on Wednesday in the British zone of control at the entrance to the Channel Tunnel, which links mainland Europe with the UK.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed the arrest in France, saying: “He was arrested on suspicion of preparing for terrorist acts and membership of a proscribed organization and detained under Police and Criminal Evidence powers. Whilst in police custody, he was subsequently detained under the Terrorism Act 2000.”
The police refused to comment further on the man’s identity, where he lived before traveling, or the circumstances of his arrest.
Muhammad Rabbani, managing director of London-based advocacy group CAGE, said the arrested man “is a veteran aid worker with a strong track record of international relief work. Without any initial judicial oversight, he was stripped of his citizenship and sent into exile without any regard for due process.”
CAGE said the man had recently won a court case to retain his British citizenship, which the government had tried to strip from him.
