Britain: Eight foreign terrorism suspects who had been detained in Britain without charge or trial for up to 3½ years were granted bail yesterday.
The men will leave custody under strict conditions, including a 12-hour curfew and restrictions on who they can meet and on their access to mobile phones and the internet.
Mr Justice Ouseley signed orders granting bail to the men at a hearing of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. The court heard that one of the men, Abu Qatada, will also be prevented from preaching at mosques or leading prayers under the terms of his release.
The group granted bail included three men detained at Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire. Jordanian-born Mahmoud Suliman Ahmed Abu Rideh (33) was transferred to Broadmoor after being imprisoned in Belmarsh high-security jail in south London following his detention in December 2001.
Two other men, known as detainees B and P, were also held at Broadmoor. Five other men granted bail include Qatada and suspects known only as E, H, K and Q.
Meanwhile, the New York Times has reported that the Pentagon is planning to cut by more than half the number of detainees in its prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States has been accused of abusing and torturing inmates.
The Pentagon aims to transfer hundreds of detainees to prisons in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Yemen, the newspaper said, citing senior administration officials.
The Guantanamo Bay prison camp holds about 540 suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners. That number includes more than 100 each from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
- (PA/Reuters)