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13/02/2008
Five Students Win Appeal Over Terror Convictions
The Court of Appeal has freed five Muslim students jailed over extremist literature.
Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips, Mr Justice Owen and Mr Justice Bean, sitting at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, quashed the convictions of Irfan Raja, Awaab Iqbal, Aitzaz Zafar, Usman Malik and Akbar Butt, saying that they were unsafe because there was no evidence to suggest that they were downloading extremist material in order to commit terrorist acts.
The men were arrested in February 2006. During the trial, the jury heard how four of the men, all students at Bradford University, were arrested after Raja, then a schoolboy in Ilford, east London, ran away from home to join them in Yorkshire.
It was revealed that Raja had left a note for his parents claiming that he was going to fight abroad.
The prosecution had said that all five had been planning to go to Pakistan for paramilitary training.
All five had denied possessing extremist material for terrorist purposes.
Rafa, 20, from Ilford, east London, had been sentenced to two years youth detention; Zafar, 21, from Rochdale, Lancashire and Iqbal, 20, from Bradford were sentenced to three years detention; Malik, 22, from Bradford, was sentenced to three years in prison; and Butt was given 27 months detention.
(KMcA)
Lord Chief Justice Lord Phillips, Mr Justice Owen and Mr Justice Bean, sitting at the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, quashed the convictions of Irfan Raja, Awaab Iqbal, Aitzaz Zafar, Usman Malik and Akbar Butt, saying that they were unsafe because there was no evidence to suggest that they were downloading extremist material in order to commit terrorist acts.
The men were arrested in February 2006. During the trial, the jury heard how four of the men, all students at Bradford University, were arrested after Raja, then a schoolboy in Ilford, east London, ran away from home to join them in Yorkshire.
It was revealed that Raja had left a note for his parents claiming that he was going to fight abroad.
The prosecution had said that all five had been planning to go to Pakistan for paramilitary training.
All five had denied possessing extremist material for terrorist purposes.
Rafa, 20, from Ilford, east London, had been sentenced to two years youth detention; Zafar, 21, from Rochdale, Lancashire and Iqbal, 20, from Bradford were sentenced to three years detention; Malik, 22, from Bradford, was sentenced to three years in prison; and Butt was given 27 months detention.
(KMcA)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A showery start with outbreaks most frequent north of Lough Neagh and through the morning, before dwindling during the afternoon as the northwest breezes ease and brighter spells of weak sunshine prosper. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
