Deported terror suspect faces no charges in France
No charges are pending against a man deported to France from Britain, where he was considered a terror suspect, French authorities said today.
British authorities alleged the man had ties to a group linked to the al-Qaida terror network, and deported him to France yesterday on national security grounds.
In France, judicial officials said the man – a dual Algerian-French national identified only as MK – was unknown to anti-terrorism magistrates, and that there were no French anti-terrorist or criminal proceedings against him.
It was not immediately clear if the man was free today.
One of his lawyers in Britain questioned British authorities’ handling of the case.
Nicola Rogers, who defended him at British hearings, said she and MK were only told in “very general terms” of the allegations against him and did not get access to all evidence used to press the British authorities’ case that he posed a security risk.
“The cynical view would be that the UK uses those kinds of proceedings to give the impression that it is being tough on terrorism and so forth, but one kind of wonders what kind of evidence they have,” Rogers said.
MK, 33, was detained in Britain in 2004, according to Britain’s Special Immigration Appeals Commission, which rejected his appeal of the deportation order in May. The Court of Appeal upheld the deportation order in August.
British prosecution lawyers told the commission that MK had received terrorist training in Afghanistan, travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for terrorist purposes and was associated with a network of extremists in Britain that had given logistical support to terrorists in Afghanistan, Algeria and Chechnya.
He was accused of having links with the Abu Doha terror group, named after Algerian Amar Makhlulif, also known as Haydar Abu Doha.
He is described by US prosecutors as a key figure in al Qaida. MK denied having more than a “nodding acquaintance” with Abu Doha.
Abu Doha is in British custody and is wanted by the US for an alleged plot to blow up Los Angeles airport during the millennium celebrations in 2000. Two other alleged associated of Abu Doha were deported from Britain to Algeria in June.
