UK seeking more effective counterterrorism measures

Ahmed Adel

The UK government does its best to prevent terrorists from entering or staging attacks.

On February 11, the House of Commons started debates on a new counterterrorism bill. Discussions on the bill come after two terrorist attacks were staged in different parts of the UK.

The bill, which was submitted by the British government, ends the automatic early release of terrorist offenders. This early and automatic release of terrorist offenders was applied to Sudesh Amman, 20, who launched a knife attack this month, only two weeks after he was released from prison. The attack left two people seriously injured.

Decisive justice

Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said the bill would ensure that terrorist offenders cannot be released before the end of their sentence without a thorough risk assessment by the Parole Board – with those considered still a threat to public safety forced to spend the rest of their time in prison.

He added that the new rules would apply to offenders sentenced for crimes such as training for terrorism, membership of a proscribed organization, and the dissemination of terrorist publications.

The move, he noted, would end the current automatic halfway release for offenders who receive standard determinate sentences.

Instead, they will be forced to spend a minimum of two-thirds of their term behind bars before being referred to the Parole Board for consideration, he added.

London Stock Exchange

In November 2019, British terrorist Usman Khan was charged with plotting to bomb the London Stock Exchange. Khan was also accused of killing two people and injuring three others in an attack near the London Bridge before he was shot and killed by police.

Khan was wearing an electronic tag since being released in December 2018, having served almost half of his jail term.

Rehabilitation challenges

The British government promised to reconsider the counterterrorism law, following the south London attack.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was becoming increasingly difficult to rehabilitate Islamists.

Johnson criticized the release of the attacker, without consulting the Parole Board.

He also expressed concern over the efficiency of terrorists’ rehabilitation programs inside the prisons.