LONDON, Jan 26: Britain announced sweeping powers on Wednesday to impose house arrest on terrorism suspects regardless of nationality, replacing a policy of jailing foreigners without trial that had been thrown out by a court.
The announcement amounts to a major overhaul of security policy after the country's highest court ruled that earlier emergency powers violated basic rights. But some civil liberties campaigners charged the new measures were even more draconian than the old ones.
"The threat is real and I believe the steps I am announcing today will make us better able to meet this threat," Home Secretary Charles Clarke told parliament.
He said 11 foreign terrorism suspects held under the old powers would remain jailed until the new measures were in place. Some could be deported to other countries if Britain can negotiate guarantees they will not be killed or tortured.
Under the new powers, the government would no longer be able to jail suspects without charge, but could forbid them from meeting certain people, impose curfews or electronic tagging on them or confine them to house arrest.
Unlike the previous measures, which were based on immigration law and applied only to foreigners, the new measures could be used against British nationals. The government would not have to prove suspects had committed a crime.
Like the Supreme Court in the United States, British courts made historic rulings last year placing limits on how far the state can go to restrict basic rights in the fight against terrorism after the Sept. 11 hijacking attacks.
Britain declared a state of emergency in 2001 and said the threat from al Qaeda justified suspending the right to a fair trial guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.
But the country's highest court ruled last month that the power to jail foreigners without charge was illegal and ordered parliament to replace it with new legislation. Mr Clarke said Al Qaeda and its allies still pose "a state of public emergency threatening the life of the nation", justifying extraordinary powers.
Seventeen foreigners have been held under the old law - dubbed "Britain's Guantanamo" - and 11 are still jailed. Among them is Abu Qatada, a Syrian who Britain says was the spiritual inspiration for the lead Sept 11 hijacker.
MUSLIM GROUPS WORRIED: Islamic groups and rights campaigners said they feared the new powers could be abused to target British Muslims that the government has never been able to prove guilty of crimes.
"There are real dangers that detention in Belmarsh (London's high security jail) could just be replaced by detention in our own homes. And now they are coming not just after foreigners but after any of us," said a spokeswoman for rights group Liberty.
Massoud Shadjareh, chairman of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said the new law could help reinforce Osama bin Laden's message that the West would deny rights to Muslims.
"People are either innocent or guilty, they are either charged or released. Anything else is unacceptable," he said. "We know which community is going to be on the receiving end."
Apart from the foreigners jailed without charge, Britain has arrested more than 600 Muslims under anti-terrorism laws since 2001 but has charged barely 100 and convicted only about 15.
Separately, UK police were questioning the final four British suspects from the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who returned on Tuesday evening after Britain gave assurances to the United States they would not be a threat. The plans for new powers to restrict the activities of terrorism suspects may have played a role in persuading Washington to send the Guantanamo prisoners home. -Reuters