CPS ‘gung-ho’ in charging Kurd sympathisers, says ex-prosecutor

PROSECUTORS have been accused of the inappropriate and “gung-ho” use of terror laws after dropping charges against three Britons accused of helping the Kurds in their fight against Islamic State (IS). Daniel Burke, a former soldier, was charged alongside Paul and Samuel Newey – father and son – with preparing or financing terror by supporting the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, in Syria.

Mr Burke was held on remand for seven months and all three men faced the prospect of jail terms if convicted of terrorism offences. But on Friday the Crown Prosecution Service announced it was dropping the case due to insufficient evidence.

It is the latest prosecution involving YPG volunteers to fail and has led to calls for a review of the use of terror laws against an organisation that has not been proscribed by the Government. Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West, said the police and CPS were guilty of being “too robust”.

He said: “When it comes to [the] YPG there has not been a single successful prosecution in this country and what concerns me is that the CPS are moving straight to charge rather than taking their time to consider whether they can get a conviction. It feels like the CPS and police are being gung-ho when bringing these cases without due consideration [as] to whether the appropriate legislation is being applied.

The YPG has not been proscribed as a terrorist group and I think the Government needs to offer some clarity on [this issue].”

Following last week’s announcement that it was dropping the latest case, the judge asked CPS lawyers to return to court to explain why.

Mr Afzal said: “If the authorities want to deter young people from volunteering to fight for non-terrorist organisations then there are other options available.”