- Tuesday, April 16, 2024
By: Keerthi Mohan
ONE in seven Islamist terrorists jailed have had their sentences cut short on appeal, it was reported on Sunday (8).
Terrorists released include those who plotted to blow up shopping centres and army bases, and they resumed making calls for jihad once released, reported Mail Online.
At least 350 convicted or suspected terrorists have been freed since 2012 and 40 of the 264 fanatics convicted of Islamist-inspired terrorism between 1998 and 2015 have had their sentences cut short on appeal, according to the Henry Jackson Society.
At least seven have had to return to prison for breaking licence conditions.
These figures come in the wake of the London Bridge attack when 28-year-old Usman Khan went on a knife rampage that killed two people.
Khan was arrested in 2010 from Stoke as part of a nine-member Al Qaeda plot to blow up the London Stock Exchange and plans to set up a terrorist training factory in the garb of a madrassa.
He was jailed indefinitely for public protection in 2012, but this was replaced by a 16-year sentence on appeal.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has said it is “ridiculous” and “repulsive” that someone as dangerous as Khan could be released after only eight years.
Speaking on the BBC Andrew Marr show, the prime minister blamed Khan’s release on Labour, saying: “His release was necessary under the law because of the automatic early release scheme under which he was sentenced, that was the reality, and that was brought in by Labour with the support of Jeremy Corbyn and the rest of the Labour Party.
“I opposed it both in 2003 and 2008, and now that I am Prime Minister I’m going to take steps to make sure that people are not released early when they commit… serious sexual, violent or terrorist offences.”
A Conservative Party spokesman was quoted as saying: “This is exactly why the PM called for changes in August to our sentencing regime but this was stalled because of the gridlock in parliament.
“If we get a working majority we will change the law to ensure serious terrorists serve at least a 14-year term and every day of the sentence they are handed down. Unfortunately Jeremy Corbyn has said that he does not think terrorists should ‘necessarily’ serve a full sentence.”
