An Egyptian terror suspect, held by Britain for three years without trial because he was said to be the leader of an al Qaeda-linked militant group, has been released from prison, the government said on Tuesday. The announcement comes as lawyers, relatives and human rights groups pour scorn on Britain's proposed reform of its discredited emergency anti-terrorism laws, which allow foreign terror suspects to be detained indefinitely.
Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Charles Clarke said he had decided to free the Egyptian man, known only as "C", from a maximum security jail after a review of his case.
"I concluded ... that the weight of evidence in relation to 'C' at the current time does not justify the continuance of (his detention)," he said in a statement.
"C" was arrested in December 2001 on suspicion of being the British leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), a banned group which wants to overthrow the Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state.
Britain said the EIJ had also allied itself with the "global jihad" ideology of Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.
British court documents also show Egypt had sentenced "C" in absentia to 15 years in jail for trying to recruit Egyptian army officers and for planning operations both there and abroad.
"I am being released! It is a surprise," he told his lawyer Natalia Garcia. "I am confused and do not understand why I was held in the first place.
He added, in remarks released by Garcia: "I have had to spend three years of my life locked up when I have done nothing wrong."
His release comes as Britain reacts to a decision by the UK's highest court, the Law Lords, which ruled the powers rushed through in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, violated basic rights.
Last week Clarke detailed an overhaul of the laws which would allow the government to impose curfews or house arrest, but remove the power to imprison without charge.
Seventeen foreigners, all Muslim and mostly north African, were rounded up by the police using the old law.
Seven have now been freed and on Monday Britain said three others would be released on bail.
However Ben Emmerson, who represents two of the detainees, said releasing the men under strict bail conditions or into house arrest was "merely swapping one form of executive detention for another".
He said they would rather stay in a top security jail than accept bail which might ban them from leaving their homes or having access to computers or telephones.