Two jihadist terrorists returned to prison, but 67 more on licence are investigated
List includes members of the banned al-muhajiroun group led by hate preacher Anjem Choudary
A TOTAL of 69 violent jihadists, who have been released from prison early, will have their licence conditions tightened as part of the Government’s crackdown in the wake of Usman Khan’s London Bridge attack.
Two convicted terrorists have already been recalled to prison since Friday’s outrage and around half a dozen more are expected to join them in the coming days.
Any former prisoner jailed for a violence-related terrorism offence, is likely to face a raft of stringent new conditions added to the terms of their licence, in a
“belt-and-braces” approach aimed at avoiding a repeat of last week’s tragedy.
The restrictions will further curtail the movements of extremists, imposing tight curfews and limiting the people they are allowed to associate with.
There will also be bans on speaking or attending events like the one Khan was at when he launched his murderous attack.
Among the 67 remaining, who will now be put under intense scrutiny, are some of the most notorious terrorist figures in the country, including former members of the banned al-muhajiroun group led by the hate preacher, Anjem Choudary.
On Sunday, a former Choudary acolyte, Nazam Hussain, was arrested by police in Stoke-on-trent on suspicion of preparing acts of terror.
The 34-year-old, who was jailed alongside Khan in 2012, was released on licence at the same time as him last December. But he was back in custody last night after West Midlands Counter Terror Police raided his home.
Another former terrorist prisoner, Yahya Rashid, 23, from north London, was also back behind bars after police discovered he had been hiding a phone from the authorities, in breach of his licence. Rashid was jailed for five years in 2015 after attempting to travel to
Two convicted terrorists have already been recalled to prison since last Friday’s outrage
Syria to join Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
After conning his way into Middlesex University with a fake BTEC certificate, he used his student loan to fund the trip. He was released from prison halfway through his five-year sentence last year, but with a requirement to inform the police of any changes to personal details, including phone numbers and email addresses.
However, when detectives searched his home address, they uncovered an iphone and an email address that he had kept secret.
Yesterday, at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Rashid was sent back to prison to complete the remaining 11 months of his sentence and has had another 12 months added.
All 67 of the remaining terrorists who have been released and remain on licence will be visited by police who will assess whether they have breached any of their existing licence conditions.