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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ex-terror plot suspect speaks out | Ex-terror plot suspect speaks out |
| (about 10 hours later) | |
| A man freed after he was arrested over an alleged plot to kidnap a UK Muslim soldier has criticised the police investigation. | A man freed after he was arrested over an alleged plot to kidnap a UK Muslim soldier has criticised the police investigation. |
| Abu Bakr, who works in the Maktabah bookshop, targeted in anti-terror raids in Birmingham, also told BBC News the UK was "a police state for Muslims". | Abu Bakr, who works in the Maktabah bookshop, targeted in anti-terror raids in Birmingham, also told BBC News the UK was "a police state for Muslims". |
| Mr Bakr, one of nine men arrested during last week's raids, was released without charge along with another man. | Mr Bakr, one of nine men arrested during last week's raids, was released without charge along with another man. |
| He said he would be affected for the rest of his life by the arrest. | He said he would be affected for the rest of his life by the arrest. |
| A spokesman for West Midlands Police said it was normal that some people would be arrested and released without charge in large and complex criminal investigations. | A spokesman for West Midlands Police said it was normal that some people would be arrested and released without charge in large and complex criminal investigations. |
| Mr Bakr, who is studying for a PhD in Political Islam at the city's university, said he became aware of the police forcing their way into his house early last Wednesday morning by his wife screaming. | Mr Bakr, who is studying for a PhD in Political Islam at the city's university, said he became aware of the police forcing their way into his house early last Wednesday morning by his wife screaming. |
| I was looking for weapons, I didn't see any and that cooled me down a bit Abu Bakr | I was looking for weapons, I didn't see any and that cooled me down a bit Abu Bakr |
| "Then I see that the light has been put on and I hear lots of officers come up, shouting my name," he said. | "Then I see that the light has been put on and I hear lots of officers come up, shouting my name," he said. |
| The officers asked him to get on the floor before telling him he was being arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences, he said. | The officers asked him to get on the floor before telling him he was being arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences, he said. |
| "At this moment, all I was thinking about was my family." | "At this moment, all I was thinking about was my family." |
| He referred to a raid in Forest Gate in east London, where two Muslim men were arrested and later released without charge. One was shot during the raid. | He referred to a raid in Forest Gate in east London, where two Muslim men were arrested and later released without charge. One was shot during the raid. |
| "In my mind, the case of Forest Gate was going though my mind. | "In my mind, the case of Forest Gate was going though my mind. |
| "I was looking for weapons, I didn't see any and that cooled me down a bit." | "I was looking for weapons, I didn't see any and that cooled me down a bit." |
| Film crews | Film crews |
| Mr Bakr said that after he had been taken into custody and fingerprinted, his solicitor told him of the alleged plot to kidnap and kill a British Muslim soldier. | Mr Bakr said that after he had been taken into custody and fingerprinted, his solicitor told him of the alleged plot to kidnap and kill a British Muslim soldier. |
| It's a police state for Muslims Abu Bakr | It's a police state for Muslims Abu Bakr |
| He said he only realised how big the story was when his solicitor told him film crews were at his house. | He said he only realised how big the story was when his solicitor told him film crews were at his house. |
| Mr Bakr said that, of the other men arrested, one was his friend, he had previously met another and did not "have a clue" about any of the others. | Mr Bakr said that, of the other men arrested, one was his friend, he had previously met another and did not "have a clue" about any of the others. |
| Asked how he felt about being singled out he said: "It's a police state for Muslims. | Asked how he felt about being singled out he said: "It's a police state for Muslims. |
| "It's not a police state for everybody else because these terror laws are designed specifically for Muslims and that's quite an open fact," he added. | "It's not a police state for everybody else because these terror laws are designed specifically for Muslims and that's quite an open fact," he added. |
| "So we're the ones who are being locked up, detained and then told to go back to our lives." | "So we're the ones who are being locked up, detained and then told to go back to our lives." |
| 'Virtual torture' | 'Virtual torture' |
| He had been released by police on Wednesday morning and told to "go back to things how they were", he added. | He had been released by police on Wednesday morning and told to "go back to things how they were", he added. |
| "But they don't realise that, after seven days of virtual torture for my family, it's going to be hard to readjust," he added. | "But they don't realise that, after seven days of virtual torture for my family, it's going to be hard to readjust," he added. |
| "This is going to affect me for the rest of my life." | "This is going to affect me for the rest of my life." |
| Mr Bakr said his parents had told him they had aged 10 years while he had been in custody. | Mr Bakr said his parents had told him they had aged 10 years while he had been in custody. |
| "Now who is going to replace that?" he said. This isn't executive detention, this is the system working Lord McKenzie | |
| He also criticised what he called "amateur-type interrogation" by the police who, he said, had subjected him to "random questioning" about notes written on pieces of paper by his young children. | |
| Mr Bakr's accusation that Britain was a police state for Muslims was rejected by Lord McKenzie, a Labour peer and a past president of the Police Superintendents' Association. | |
| He said: "You tell that to the many Muslims who were killed and injured in July 2005. They want these terrorism incidents reduced and stopped. The purpose of arrest is to collect evidence, to interrogate." | |
| He insisted Mr Bakr's case showed the legal system was fair. | |
| "What this proves is that the independent judiciary have intervened. Of course he was released, which proves that we're quite the opposite to a police state, because this isn't executive detention, this is the system working." | |
| Muslim Labour MP Shahid Malik said: "I can understand Abu Bakr's anger and hurt but it definitely doesn't lead to the conclusion that we're in a police state. | |
| "It's really important that people do remain patient and let justice take its course." |