The Justice Secretary's last-ditch effort to keep Abdul Aziz Jalil behind bars has failed, as the Parole Board's judicial member, HHJ Jeremy Roberts KC, dismissed the application for reconsideration, calling it "irrational." Jalil, now 53, was convicted in 2007 for his role in an Al-Qaeda sleeper cell that assisted Dhiren Barot in planning bomb plots in New York and London. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison but will be released after serving 19 years.
Background of the Case
Jalil was diagnosed with autism while in prison. Documents seen by the Mirror reveal he was released twice from jail but was recalled most recently in March last year for breaching his licence after searching for "weapons and drones" online and accessing a Reddit forum. Despite these concerns, the Parole Board ruled in favour of his release.
HHJ Roberts KC acknowledged the "concern about the possibility that [Jalil] might at some stage be tempted to engage in very serious activity of the kind for which he is serving his lengthy sentence." However, he stated that there was "an important difference between [Jalil's] innocent interest in military publications and an intention to obtain or use military hardware [or to supply it to anyone else] for terrorist purposes."
Jalil's Role in the Terror Plot
Jalil was one of seven men jailed in 2007 for a combined 136 years. He was believed to be Barot's "minder" and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause explosions between 2001 and 2004. He provided intelligence and support to Barot, including renting a safe house where planning material was kept. His fingerprints were found on documents connected to chemicals, and he attended terror training camps in Pakistan and helped with research into radioactivity.
The gang, all British Muslims, were just weeks from launching their attacks when arrested. They planned to trigger a radioactive "dirty bomb" and detonate limos packed with gas cylinders and explosives beneath buildings in London. Barot, a senior member of Osama bin Laden's network, was sentenced to life in 2006 with a minimum of 40 years, later reduced to 30 years on appeal.
Parole Board Decision
HHJ Roberts KC wrote in the Parole Board documents: "[Jalil] comes from a Pakistani family but has resided in the UK for most of his life. In or about 2001 he became involved with [Barot] a British citizen who had embraced Islamic extremism and received training for various terrorist activities." He added that Jalil became "the most trusted of a number of [Barot's] associates when he was planning terrorist attacks [four different plans any of which would have been likely to have serious consequences]."
Upon release, Jalil will be placed under strict counter-terror surveillance. The decision has raised concerns about public safety, but the Parole Board maintains that the panel's decision was sound.
