The vast majority of suspects detained under British anti-terrorism legislation in the wake of the 2001 attacks in the US were neither convicted nor charged, official statistics showed Wednesday. Figures published by the Home Office showed that 56 per cent of the 1,471 terrorism suspects detained between September, 2001, and April, 2008, were never charged.
Of those arrested, 102 were convicted of terrorism offences and 94 were convicted on terrorism-related charges, representing just 13 per cent of those detained overall. According to the figures, 521 of the terrorism arrests, or 35 per cent, resulted in a charge, of which 340 were terrorism-related. The number brought before the courts and convicted on terrorism- related charges, including conspiracy to murder and explosives offences, totalled 196.
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said the 196 convictions highlighted the "real and serious threat from terrorism" faced by Britain. "That is why the government is committed to investing in our counter-terrorist threat and wherever possible seeks to prosecute those involved with terrorism," he said. But human rights group Liberty said it was "worrying" that "the overwhelming majority" of those arrested were not guilty of any charge and half were not charged at all.
The figures, compiled by the Office of the National Co-ordinator of Terrorist Investigations also showed that, by the end of March, 2008, there were some 125 terrorist prisoners held in England and Wales. Of these, 62 per cent were British nationals and 91 per cent classed themselves as Muslim. Publication of the figure appeared to reinforce criticism from human rights groups and lawyers that anti-terrorism legislation had been applied "indiscriminately" in Britain, the BBC said.