Terrorist linked to arena bomber returned to prison
A TERRORIST with close links to the Manchester Arena bomber who was granted parole just six weeks ago has been returned to prison after breaching the terms of his licence.
Abdalraouf Abdallah, 27, was jailed in July 2016 after being convicted of helping people to travel to Syria to join Islamic State. He was sentenced to nine years and six months in total but was released early on licence in November.
However, the Ministry of Justice said he was returned to prison last week after the Parole Board concluded his behaviour had breached the strict terms of his licence conditions.
A source said the breach had not been terror related and was understood to be in connection with his general behaviour in the halfway house where he had been living.
A Probation Service spokesman said: “Protecting the public is our number one priority so when offenders breach the conditions of their release and potentially pose an increased risk we don’t hesitate to return them to custody.”
While in prison, Abdallah received a visit from Salman Abedi, who killed 22 people when he blew himself up after an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. The public inquiry into the atrocity has heard that Abdallah is a “witness with important evidence to give”, but it is understood he has refused to cooperate.
When he was released from prison, sources said he would be subject to some of the most stringent conditions applied to a terrorist out on licence.
Matt Dryden, research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, commented: “Abdallah’s recall to prison for a breach of licence conditions just weeks after his release is further evidence – were it necessary – of the fundamentally flawed policy of automatic release for terror offenders. The Government must now move to ensure no terrorist is released before they’ve satisfied the parole board that they don’t pose a risk to the public.”
Abdallah, who was born in Libya, grew up in the same part of Manchester as the Abedi brothers and in 2010 travelled to Tripoli to join in the uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. He was shot and paralysed and returned to the UK in order to undergo life-saving surgery, although he remains in a wheelchair.