Haroon Aswat was a close lieutenant to the 7/7 London bombings hate preacher Abu Hamza, and is now poised to leave the secure psychiatric facility where he had been held in Yorkshire
A terrorist linked to the 7/7 London Underground bombings is set to walk free – despite warnings he poses a significant risk to the public. Haroon Aswat, 50, was a close lieutenant to the hate preacher Abu Hamza and is now poised to leave the UK psychiatric facility where he has been receiving treatment for the last two years and return to his family in Yorkshire.
Authorities said he cannot be fully assessed by the justice system due to his ongoing mental health treatment. Aswat, who was jailed for 20 years in the US in 2015, plotted with Hamza to create a training camp in Oregon in 1999. In 2001, he was training in Afghanistan, and met two of the July 7 bombers at an al-Qaeda safe house in Pakistan.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, has warned he “could still be a real danger” to society and called on the government to “urgently change the law.” He told The Sun: “It is totally unacceptable that full risk assessments cannot be carried out. I call on the government to urgently change the law. “Those who pose a danger to the public should be taken off our streets. That’s non-negotiable.”
A total of 52 people were killed and a further 800 were injured in the terror attack on July 7 2005, with some suffering devastating injuries. Peter Clarke, the former counterterrorism chief at the Metropolitan Police, warned: “There have been far too many tragic cases in the UK where terrorists have been released and gone on to murder.”
Aswat was arrested in Zambia with suspected bomb parts and a terrorist manual. He was deported to the UK and held under a US warrant, as he fought extradition on mental health grounds. However, following a lengthy legal battle he was sent to the US in 2014. The following year he pleaded guilty and his sentence was reduced to seven years. Aswat told Dr Richard Taylor, a psychiatrist,: “I am a terrorist.” Aswat has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a condition that can trigger violent behaviour. Docotors warned that Aswat could radicalise vulnerable people.
On Tuesday, the High Court judge Mr Justice Jay ruled: “The defendant’s treatment has been effective. His release from detention is expected in the relatively near future. I understand he will return to his family in Yorkshire. No formal terrorist risk assessment has been carried out since the defendant’s return here. The circumstances of his detention have precluded that.
“However, on the basis of the material which is available the defendant has been assessed by various police officers — including the senior officer dealing with this case — that he remains a risk to national security.”
A notification order was granted by the judge which means Aswat must register his address and bank details with police. He will not be under surveillance or wear a tag. However, he must tell police if he plans to travel abroad.