Bail terms reflect new control orders as terror suspects line up for release

A FOREIGN terror suspect detained without trial for more thanthree years was released on bail yesterday, while another eight couldbe freed as early as today, a special court heard.

The Algerian national, known only as A, was driven away by policefrom a Special Immigration and Appeals Commission (SIAC) hearing inLondon last night, and is thought to have been reunited with his wifeand five children at his home.

He will be subject to 11 bail conditions, including electronictagging, a curfew between 7pm and 7am, and stringent restrictions onwho he can meet or allow into his home.

A further eight terror suspects who have also been detainedwithout charge for up to three-and-a-half years, were to be grantedbail "in principle", SIAC chairman Mr Justice Ouseley said yesterday.

Mr Clarke had agreed a month ago to free four of the men held atBelmarsh but their release had been delayed in a row over bailconditions.

They could be freed as early as today - only days before theemergency terror laws under which they were detained expire on Sundaynight.

Those who may be freed include Abu Qatada, a 44-year oldPalestinian-born Muslim cleric who has been previously described as"al-Qaeda's ambassador in Europe" and a "truly dangerous individual"by a SIAC judge. The other named detainee is Jordanian-born MahmoudSuliman Ahmed Abu Rideh, 33, a Palestinian, who was alleged to havemade public threats to carry out a bombing and have been involvedwith associates of bin Laden in Britain and abroad. He is currentlyat Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital.

The others are known only as E, H, K, P and Q. A tenth man, knownas G, is already under house arrest and was due to have his bailconditions relaxed last night.

Each of the men would be subjected to a "matrix" of bailconditions agreed on an individual basis by the judge.

Earlier, Mr Justice Ouseley criticised the Home Secretary, CharlesClarke's treatment of the men.

The judge said: "We have the absurd situation here today wherethree of the four men have been in detention longer than they neededto be while we argue over the precise degree of freedom."

In December, the Law Lords condemned terror laws used to hold theforeign terrorist suspects indefinitely without charge, saying theybreached human rights legislation and discriminated againstforeigners. The government said then that it accepted the ruling butwould continue to hold the men until new laws were introduced.

Mr Justice Ouseley told A during the hearing: "It's very importantfor your own wellbeing and the well-being of your family - with whomyou will shortly be reunited - that you keep to these bail terms."

The conditions, based on proposals handed to the court yesterdaymorning by the Home Office, closely resemble the controversialproposals being fought out last night in parliament.

Among other bail conditions, A will have to allow police and otherofficials to carry out searches, but his defence team won aconcession that a female officer would have to be present if A'sMuslim wife was at home alone.

He will be restricted on who he can allow into his home. He willbe allowed only one fixed telephone line, and mobile phones andcomputers which can access the internet will be banned from his home.

He will be required to notify the Home Office if he intends toleave the country, limited to one bank account, barred fromtransferring money without the Home Office's consent and prohibitedfrom buying, selling or procuring communications or computerequipment.

Bail conditions for the other detainees will be closely based onthose imposed on A. Two terror suspects who are detained at BroadmoorHospital in Berkshire, Abu Rideh, who has been detained sinceDecember 2001 and Detainee B, are due to be brought before the SIACtomorrow.