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Justice dept announces ban on early terrorist releases

28/03/2008

A ban on the early release of convicted terrorists has been announced after it emerged two men had been freed from jail to ease overcrowding.

Justice secretary Jack Straw unveiled the measure after Yassin Nassari, who was arrested at Luton airport in possesion of blueprints for a rocket, was released from a maximum security jail 17 days ahead of schedule.

The ministry of justice also confirmed that a second man convicted of a terrorism offence had also been allowed to walk free early.

Measures, known as the end of custody licence (ECL), originally implemented to ease the problems being caused by full incarceration centres in the UK have backfired, causing embarrassment for the government.

"The number of terrorism-related cases likely to fall within the current ECL criteria is very small," explained a spokeswoman for the MoJ.

"However, in the light of these cases, the justice secretary has decided to change the criteria for the ECL scheme so that any prisoner convicted under terrorism legislation would not be eligible."

However, shadow home secretary David Davis went on the attack, stating: "Jack Straw must now say when he knew about this, and why he has only just acted.

"Was Nassari released with or without his knowledge? If it was without, who on earth is running his department?"