London, May 18, IRNA — Two Pakistani students arrested in major counter-terrorism raids in Britain last year but who were never charged with any offences have won their appeals against deportation from the UK.
Abid Naseer and Ahmed Faraz Khan, both 23, took their cases to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) in London, and won the right to stay in the UK, even though Naseer was said to be an al-Qaeda operative and a security risk.
It was ruled Tuesday that Naseer could not be deported because he faced torture or death back home in Pakistan. Khan also won his appeal on similar grounds.
Britain’s new Home Secretary Theresa May said the government was “disappointed” by the ruling as “protecting the public is the Government’s top priority” but would not be appeal against the judgment.
“As the court agreed, they are a security risk to the UK. We are now taking all possible measures to ensure they do not engage in terrorist activity,” May said.
The two Pakistani students were among 11 facing deportation after been arrested in high-profile anti-terrorism raids in April 2009 but who were released without charge due to the lack of evidence to obtain convictions.
Saic also ruled that Shoaib Khan, who like the majority of others has already voluntarily returned to Pakistan, should not be subjected to an exclusion order, but rejected appeals by Abdul Wahab Khan and Tariq Ur Rehman.
Last year, the government sought to deport all the arrested students, insisting that while there was insufficient evidence to prosecute them, they represented a “threat to national security.”
Their arrests last year came after the counter-terrorism operation was brought forward when former Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Bob Quick was photographed carrying secret documents with details of the plan.