LONDON, 1 February 2005 — A Palestinian man, one of 11 foreign terror suspects held by Britain without trial under now-discredited emergency laws, has been granted bail, the government said yesterday.
Mahmoud Abu Rideh was arrested more than three years ago after Britain accused him of having links to Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden and of raising funds for terror operations.
“We will not seek to oppose bail for Mr. Rideh but we will argue that the conditions imposed must be appropriate to address the threat that he poses,” a Home Office (Interior Ministry) spokesman said.
Rideh will not be freed until the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which reviews detainees’ cases, has agreed what those conditions should be, the spokesman added.
Yesterday’s verdict come just days after Britain announced plans to overhaul its anti-terrorism laws, which give police powers to jail foreigners without trial indefinitely if they are suspected of being involved in terrorism.
It followed a ruling last year by the UK’s highest court, the Law Lords, that those powers, adopted in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, violated basic rights.
Rideh, who was born in Jordan to stateless Palestinian parents, arrived in Britain in 1995 and was given refugee status three years later, according to court documents.
He was arrested in December 2001 with then-Home Secretary David Blunkett stating he was “an active supporter of various terrorist groups, including those with links to Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist network”.
He is currently being held at Broadmoor Hospital near London, a top security unit which houses some of Britain’s most dangerous mentally ill criminals.
Under proposed new laws announced last week, Britain will no longer be able to jail suspects but instead will be able to place them under house arrest or possibly deport them.
Those held under the existing powers are staying in jail until the new law comes into effect.
Rideh was one of 17 foreigners, mostly north African, rounded up by British police shortly after the existing legislation was first passed.
Of those, six have already been freed: One was released after the UK said he was no longer a threat, another was freed on appeal, another released under house arrest, another because of his mental condition and two others have chosen to leave Britain.
Two other detainees, known only as “A” and “P”, were also due to have their bail applications considered by SIAC yesterday.
