UK: 35% of terrorism suspects charged, 7% convicted
Britain has arrested more than 1,400 people under anti-terrorism laws since September 11, 2001, the government said on Wednesday, but only a third of those were charged and even fewer convicted.
Releasing the first complete statistics on the issue, covering the period from the attacks on the United States to March 31, 2008, the Home Office said there had been 1,471 arrests under the Terrorism Act.
Of those, 521 (35 percent) resulted in charges being brought, of whom 102 (7 percent of the arrests) were ultimately convicted under terrorism legislation. A further 94 were convicted under non-terrorism legislation.
The statistics do not, however, include those who are charged and awaiting trial, or those who have been convicted of a terrorism-related crime since March 2008.
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"The main offences for which suspects were charged under terrorism legislation were possession of an article for terrorist purposes, membership of a proscribed organization, and fundraising, all offences under the Terrorism Act," he said.
The figures showed that 117 people are currently serving prison sentences in England and Wales for terrorism or terrorism-related convictions. Of those, 62 percent were UK nationals and 91 percent classified themselves as Muslims.
(more)
Source: Reuters (English)
Britain has arrested more than 1,400 people under anti-terrorism laws since September 11, 2001, the government said on Wednesday, but only a third of those were charged and even fewer convicted.
Releasing the first complete statistics on the issue, covering the period from the attacks on the United States to March 31, 2008, the Home Office said there had been 1,471 arrests under the Terrorism Act.
Of those, 521 (35 percent) resulted in charges being brought, of whom 102 (7 percent of the arrests) were ultimately convicted under terrorism legislation. A further 94 were convicted under non-terrorism legislation.
The statistics do not, however, include those who are charged and awaiting trial, or those who have been convicted of a terrorism-related crime since March 2008.
(..)
"The main offences for which suspects were charged under terrorism legislation were possession of an article for terrorist purposes, membership of a proscribed organization, and fundraising, all offences under the Terrorism Act," he said.
The figures showed that 117 people are currently serving prison sentences in England and Wales for terrorism or terrorism-related convictions. Of those, 62 percent were UK nationals and 91 percent classified themselves as Muslims.
(more)
Source: Reuters (English)
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