Pay Attention, Holder: Terror Suspects Make Mockery Of British Court System
Jan 18, 2010 2 Comments ›› Erik Wong
LONDON–Two terror suspects won the right Monday to seek compensation from the British government over the restrictions imposed upon their activities since 2006.
The High Court ruling delivers another blow to Britain’s system of so-called “control orders,” which officials say is necessary to keep tabs on terror suspects who can’t be brought to trial without revealing sensitive intelligence information.
The system allows Britain’s Home Office to ask a court to curtail suspects’ movements, ban them from foreign travel, restrict their Internet access and forbid them from associating with certain people. At least 45 people have been subjected to such orders, according to the latest count. Twelve people, including nine Britons, remain under the regime.
The two suspects whose case was decided Monday can’t be named for legally reasons. One of the two, a Libyan-British dual national identified only as A.F., was subjected to a control order because of alleged links with Islamic terrorists. He had to wear an electronic tag, stay in his house for 18 hours a day, and couldn’t work without express permission from the government.
The other man, identified only as A.E., has been described in previous rulings as an imam to the Iraqi community in an unnamed town in northern England. Britain’s security service said there was evidence he had taken part in terrorist activities.
Both had their control orders lifted in September after Britain’s highest court ruled that the government could no longer withhold evidence from the pair. Britain’s government said it lifted the restrictions rather than expose the sources of its intelligence.
Justice Stephen Silber said Monday that while the men were free to seek redress for their time spent under the control orders, he warned them that they wouldn’t necessarily succeed in their quest for compensation, adding that it was unlikely to be very substantial in any case.
A.E.’s lawyer Mohammed Ayub called the ruling was “a victory for common sense and decency.” The government said it would appeal.
