Still no British terror convictions

More than 150 suspects have been rounded up and held in Britain since laws were tightened to cope with the growing threat of international terrorism, the Standard can reveal.

So far, none has been convicted on terrorism charges and nine are still being held in prison without trial under new anti-terrorism laws described by judges yesterday as discriminatory, unlawful and disproportionate.

But the detention without trial of a handful of foreign nationals is only a small part of the bigger picture of the state's efforts to hunt down suspects, stifle terrorist funds, improve security and enhance public safety.

Some of the measures taken since 11 September have closed down important loopholes, such as improving the monitoring of airline passenger lists and tightening security around laboratories holding anthrax and other deadly pathogens.

The Government insists that public safety must be paramount and has defended the power to detain foreigners without trial. But Muslim leaders and civil liberties campaigners claim that the Government has over-reacted in the face of the threat to Britain.

Latest Home Office figures show that in addition to the nine men detained without charge, there have been 144 arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000, which came into force in February last year, outlawing support for radical Islamic groups and making it a criminal offence to raise funds. But ministers admit the arrests have not led to a single conviction and out of 46 people charged, only 10 are either on trial or still awaiting prosecution.

They include potentially key players in the al Qaeda network. Algerian-born Brahim Benmerzouga and Baghdad Meziane, arrested days after 11 September, will stand trial at Leicester Crown Court in January. Meziane is accused of being a director of operations for Bin Laden, while Benmerzouga is accused of helping finance operations and owning equipment that could have been used in a bomb attack. In a separate case, Suleymain Zainulabidin is on trial at the Old Bailey charged with providing weapons training to Islamic militants.

However, yesterday's judgment by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission and the collapse of several recent extradition cases has cast doubts over the quality of evidence behind scores of arrests.

Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain, said: "There has been an over-reaction by the Government. After 11 September, the Home Office felt it had to do something."

The Government introduced the Terrorism Act 2000 after coming under pressure from countries like Egypt and Yemen for allowing dissidents to mount vocal campaigns against them from London. Then further legislation was passed after 11 September.

But Dr Siddiqui says: "People have been arrested based on misinformation from security services in the Middle East and with no genuine evidence."

The Home Office says there is "detailed and compelling evidence" against the nine men held without trial, but not even their lawyers have been allowed to see the case against them.