Choudary claims breach to his human rights
Hate preacher could be granted funding to contest strict conditions of release on human rights grounds
Anjem Choudary emerges from his probation hostel in Camden, north London, following his release from prison yesterday. The Islamist preacher is considering a legal challenge to the strict conditions of his release, arguing that they breach his human rights
ANJEM CHOUDARY, the Islamist hate preacher who was let out of prison yesterday, is considering mounting a legal challenge to the strict conditions of his release.
Mr Choudary is understood to have applied for legal aid to bring his action against ministers, arguing the conditions breach his human rights.
The 51-year-old father of five, who is represented by Birnberg Peirce, a leading human rights law firm, wants to tone down some of the 25 rules he must adhere to following his release.
They include tight restrictions on who he can associate with, which mosque he can attend and what locations he is allowed to visit.
In addition he is banned from using the internet and is not allowed to speak to anyone under the age of 18.
A breach of the conditions would result in Mr Choudary being returned to prison to complete the remainder of his five-and-a-half-year sentence, imposed after he was found guilty of swearing an oath of allegiance to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
It is understood that Mr Choudary’s lawyers have now written to the Ministry of Justice complaining that the restrictions – possibly the most draconian imposed on a British citizen – constitute a breach of his human rights.
Mr Choudary, who is a trained lawyer, is understood to have argued that the licensing conditions are disproportionate to the crime for which he was convicted.
While he is accused of radicalising dozens of young Muslims, including terrorists who have committed atrocities both here and abroad, he was only convicted of one terrorism offence himself.
According to reports, he has been placed on an asset-freezing order. It is not clear whether he can use his assets to pay for lawyers. It is possible he is entitled to legal aid, having lived on benefits for years before going to jail.
A well-placed source said: “There was an expectation at the Ministry of Justice that Choudary was going to bring a legal challenge. That’s just what he does. Nobody is surprised.”
Mr Choudary was freed from Belmarsh prison in south-east London yesterday morning after reaching the midway point of his sentence. He had been held at Frankland high security prison in Durham but was moved back to London in the run-up to his release.
He was driven out of Belmarsh prison at high speed before dawn and spotted arriving at a probation hostel in north London at 6.29am accompanied by two police officers in plain clothes.
After spending the morning inside the hostel he briefly appeared on the steps of the building where camera crews had gathered. He waved to the cameras but said nothing, mindful not to breach his licence conditions, which are understood to prevent him from talking to the media.
Once his licensing period ends in two-and-a-half years’ time, he will be a free man and will no longer be subject to any restrictions.
Sources said counter-terrorism police and the security services “will be watching him like a hawk”. The cost of keeping him under surveillance is likely to exceed £2million a year.
‘There was an expectation he was going to bring a legal challenge. That’s what he does. Nobody is surprised’