Anti-terror overreach? UK drops case against Moazzam Begg.
Mr. Begg, an outspoken advocate for the rights of terror suspects, was arrested in February on terrorism charges. The government's decision to drop the case has critics claiming political persecution.
Mr. Begg, an outspoken advocate for the rights of terror suspects, was arrested in February on terrorism charges. The government's decision to drop the case has critics claiming political persecution.
British prosecutors dropped all terrorism-related charges against a former Guantanamo Bay detainee Wednesday, raising new questions about Britain鈥檚 expanding anti-terrorism efforts.
The prosecutors鈥� decision to drop the charges against Moazzam Begg, a British citizen, and release him five days before he was scheduled to go on trial comes at a tense juncture in聽the UK. Amid growing concerns over the Islamic State's expansion in the Middle East, British politicians have vowed tough action against its citizens who travel to Syria and Iraq to join the fight.聽
But Mr. Begg鈥檚 case highlights the challenge of countering legitimate terrorism threats while preserving civil liberties 鈥� and the slippery slope complicating the balance.
Begg was arrested in February on charges connected to the war in Syria, the BBC reports. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) originally alleged that he had attended a terrorist training camp when he traveled to the country a year earlier. It also accused him of possessing documents connected to terrorism and terrorism funding.
But human rights activists in the United Kingdom and the United States were outraged by Begg's arrest, which journalist Glenn Greenwald called "disgusting from the start.鈥�
The Monitor's Dan Murphy commented at the time of Begg's arrest that:
A controversial activist
CAGE, an organization founded by Begg that advocates for the rights of terror suspects,聽said his arrest earlier this year was politically motivated, Reuters reports.
Begg's first term of detention came in 2002, when he was arrested in Pakistan and handed over to US custody. After serving three years in Guantanamo, he was released without charge and repatriated to the UK, where he became a prominent human rights activist and critic of President George W Bush's "war on terror."聽
Begg's defenders say those activities made him into a political target. In a statement, Asim Qureshi, research director at CAGE, praised Begg鈥檚 release during a 鈥渢esting time for Moazzam, his family and the Muslim community.鈥�
Police told the Guardian that the decision to drop all charges was made after they received new intelligence information two months ago. 鈥淚f we had been made aware of all of this information at the time of charging, we would not have charged,鈥� the CPS said in a statement.
Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent for the BBC, called the move a 鈥渃atastrophic blow to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.鈥�
Meanwhile, the British government continues to expand its anti-terrorism efforts. Home Secretary Theresa May said Tuesday that a new counterterrorism bill would be ready by the end of November, Reuters reports. The proposed legislation would give her more powers to prevent British citizens from traveling to Syria and Iraq.