BRITAIN: A terror suspect in Britain has been freed "out of the blue" on the orders of the Home Secretary. Mr Charles Clarke withdrew the certificate which permitted the Egyptian national, known only as "C", to be detained without charge or trial at Woodhill prison near Milton Keynes.
The man was released last night with no restrictions on his freedom, after more than three years' internment.
His solicitor, Ms Natalia Garcia, claimed that only hours earlier the Home Office had said it would only tolerate his release under house arrest. It comes just 24 hours after another detainee - Jordanian-born Mahmoud Suliman Ahmed Abu Rideh - was granted bail by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission because indefinite detention had worsened his psychiatric problems.
Both C and Abu Rideh were among the first eight people to be detained - without charge or trial - under the controversial Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act in December 2001. - (PA)
