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Terror suspect reunited with family after late reprieve



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Published Date: 17 March 2008
By ADAM MORRIS
A TERROR suspect who was a day away from being deported to face an uncertain future in his homeland has been freed to be reunited with his family.
Edinburgh man Bachir Mohammed was held in custody for almost a month after being detained on terrorism charges in Stranraer, as he embarked on a sightseeing trip to Northern Ireland.

The 45-year-old father-of-two – who is crippled after contractin
g polio when he was a child – has lived in the Capital for six years and is in the process of applying for asylum.

Although he had just acquired a private taxi licence and had a permit to work in the UK, he was arrested and then held at Dungavel detention centre in Lanarkshire.

He was due to be flown back to Algeria last Sunday, but earned an eleventh-hour reprieve when his lawyer successfully fought his case in court.

However, he was still flown to London and held in the Colnbrook Detention Centre, near Heathrow, until last Thursday.

He is now understood to have been reunited with his family in the Capital.

A source close to Mr Bachir said: "He will be looking to join up with his family as soon as he can, sort out his status, and get back to living like a citizen of Edinburgh again."

Interrogators had accused Mr Bachir of having links with the Islamic Salvation Front through his work with the Algerian community in Britain, something he vehemently denies.

Richard Hayley, a spokesman for Scotland Against Criminalising Communities – the charity which has campaigned on Mr Bachir's behalf – today said he was delighted at the news.

He said: "This is great news for him, but I don't understand why, when they knew he wasn't being flown back, he got taken to London nonetheless.

"It is totally bizarre, and the fact he was kept in Dungavel for so long, away from his life, circumstances and family seems now to be wrong as well."

Mr Bachir, who lived in the Craigmount area before moving to Leith Walk, married his wife, Nacera, in the city and also had his two children, Safia, two, and six-month-old Hafsa, born here.

He has suffered serious medical complications as a result of his polio and has had extensive surgery.

His latest operation enabled him to drive and he got a taxi licence and was awaiting a suitable car to use.

However, his plans were cut short when he was accused of being a terrorist as he waited to go on a driving holiday to Northern Ireland on February 17.

Despite his pleas that he would be killed if he returned to his homeland, proceedings went ahead to have him deported.

He said at the time: "When people like me who have criticised the regime go back there, we can just disappear."

• Scotland Against Criminalising Communities website
• Border and Immigration Agency website





The full article contains 491 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 17 March 2008 12:56 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

,

17/03/2008 12:54:57
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2

,

17/03/2008 13:05:52
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3

,

17/03/2008 13:36:35
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4

Paloma negra,

17/03/2008 13:46:14
Time we got tough
... and spoke the truth.
Salmond; Blair and Brown do not have the 'bottle'


Salmond is just another spineless apologist for Islam
... like Blair and Brown and every other politician in britain.
Salmond could not wait to appease Islamofascism by getting an Islamist elected to Hollyrood on a safe SNP seat.

Salmond
... (like Gordon Brown)
... will not publicly admit
... that they are too scared
... to do anything to defend our democratic way of life
... or our freedom of expression from Islamofascism.


How about this three point plan??

1. Shut all mosques today;

2. If they want to practice Islam
... give them a one-way ticket to some
... backward Muslim country

3. Any women found wearing a hijab or burka in public gets locked up in prison for 72 hours
... this should also be monitored
... rising to 90 days in jail for repeat offenders.
If they consistently break this ...
Jail them for 6 months !!!
5

whoreally cares,

17/03/2008 13:54:06
number 4. what well thought out points, you must be proud of them
6

,

17/03/2008 13:57:22
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7

whoreally cares,

17/03/2008 14:06:53
it would all depend on what type of vegetable though, i mean are we talking babycorn or turnip?
8

The Phantommmmm,

17/03/2008 14:23:30
The man's a worker. Leave him be. If our government wants to let every Tom, Dick and Ali in, there's sweet FA we can do about it.
9

Turkey Jerky,

17/03/2008 14:41:15
#4 et al

To do those things the U.K. would have to break away from the EU. What with it being the right to have religious freedom.

I wonder if this guy were from the USA and Christian if there would be as much crap spewed about immigration.

I think it is sad that most of you posters would gladly send an innocent man to his death at the hands of those you supposedly disagree with. Either you agree with the Algerian regime, and want this man dead or you disagree with them and should let this man live in peace.

10

frannylee,

Penicuik 17/03/2008 15:12:49
I presume that we, that is the British taxpayer, paid for his operation. Is he really here in fear of his life or just a "health tourist", taking advantage of a health service that he has never paid a penny into.
11

Amparo de Glasgow,

17/03/2008 16:50:28
Significant that people here decry freedom of speech again.
Yes #4 perhaps expressed an unsavoury opinion.
But she is right in that not one politician
... wee Eck included
... has the gumption to tackle Islamofascism head on.

People here should
... if they feel inclined
... read a Muslim woman's cry for justice.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali !!!
She wrote a book called
"The virgin's cage"

Ms. Hirsi Ali
... has her own entry in Wikipedia
... plus lots of other entries if you Google her name.
She was a Member of the Dutch Parliament
She made a film with Theo van Gogh (a distant relative of the famous artist)

Mr. van Gogh was murdered in broad daylight
... in a crowded Amsterdam street
... at the height of the rush-hour
... one morning in 2004.

Ms Hirsi Ali
... sought refuge after his murder in the USA
... but was not offered the same protection from the American's that the Dutch govt. currently provides her.

Read her opinions !!!

It is so easy for women in Western countries to rebel against injustice.
Not so easy for Black women from African Muslim places.
12

,

17/03/2008 16:57:25
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13

Amparo de Glasgow,

17/03/2008 17:03:34
If this Mr. Hayley feels so strongly about
... "criminalisation"
... why does he not chain himself to the gates of the Saudi Arabian or Iranian embassy??

In these countries women are treated worse than criminals.
His silence.
Like much of the british Left and Liberals
... is appalling !!!

Look at the so-called 'Stop the War' movment.

More apologists for the Taliban and Al Quaeda !!!

Outrageous.

The Left and Liberals should wake up and smell the bloody coffee
... before it is too late !!!
14

Amparo de Glasgow,

17/03/2008 17:27:34
Read about Theo van Gogh at:

www.theovangogh.nl/
15

Amparo de Glasgow,

17/03/2008 17:30:20
... or read what
... Christopher Hitchens

... has to say about Ayaan Hirsi Ali
16

Amparo de Glasgow,

17/03/2008 17:33:32
or read about what:
... Mohammed Bouyeri

Theo van Gogh said
... in his "martyrdom note"
... which he pinned to Mr. van Gogh's corpse after he muredered him.

Mohammed Bouyeri
... wrongly assumed that the Dutch police would
... 'shoot to kill'
... instead he was arrested by the Amsterdam coppers
... and jailed !!
17

Finbarr Saunders,

17/03/2008 21:20:05
#11-16 - Amparo de Glasgow - You really love those ellipses, don't you?
18

Joe M.,

Edinburgh 17/03/2008 22:57:54
The racist xenophobic inhuman scum who have commented on this article have nothing to do with Scotland and do not represent our views. Their contempt for our elected Scottish Government says it all.

This man is innocent but was treated like a criminal by the British Government who almost sent him to be murdered by a foreign Government. He deserves significant compensation and should never have been arrested in the first place.

Mr Mohammed is a decent citizen of Scotland. Those who spew their hate filled bile against him and claim he has no right to medical treatment on the NHS embarrass themselves but they do not embarrass us because they don't speak in our name.
19

COLINTON.MAINS,

Oakville Ontario 18/03/2008 02:30:03
HE GOT A TAXI LICENCE NEXT YEAR MOHAMMADS TAXI COMPANY ONLY MUSLIM DRIVERS
20

,

18/03/2008 12:19:07
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