Bradford University Group
Case Summary: Bradford University Group
February 21, 2008
Terrorism Act tightens the net
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/21/nlaw121.xml
"When their convictions were quashed last week by the Court of Appeal, people were understandably concerned that other prosecutions might be in jeopardy."
Sections 57 and 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000: "Section 57 deals with possession of articles and section 58 deals with collection and possession of information."
Section 58 says: "A person commits an offence if he collects or makes a record of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, or he possesses a document or record containing information of that kind."
Section 58 "was never intended to cover documents that simply encourage Islamic terrorism."
Section 57 "makes it an offence to possess an "article" if there is reasonable suspicion that the possession is connected with the "commission, preparation or instigation" of terrorism. This is more broadly worded than the following section and extends to "instigation", or incitement."
"But defence lawyers argued that electronic data was not an "article" within the meaning of section 57. It could only be "information" within the narrower offence created by section 58. In February last year, three appeal judges headed by Lord Justice Hooper granted the students' appeal on this basis."
"if the five students had acted as alleged a couple of months later, they could have been prosecuted under the Terrorism Act 2006 - the one that deals with "glorification" of terrorism."
February 17, 2008
Has Britain become soft on terror?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3382193.ece
February 13, 2008
Students 'intoxicated' by terror freed on appeal
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/13/nterror113.xml
Five young men, including four students, jailed on terror charges after being "intoxicated" by extremist propaganda have been freed by the Court of Appeal:
Awaab Iqbal, Aitzaz Zafar, Usman Malik, Mohammed Irfan Raja and Akbar Butt
Appeal upheld for youths 'intoxicated by terror'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/13/nterror313.xml
Appeal Court quashes convictions in blow for anti-terror strategy
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3363827.ece
Image of Mohammed Irfan Raja's letter to his parents
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00283/letter_283154a.jpg
November 7, 2007
Internet spreads terror in Britain
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/07/nterror107.xml
July 27, 2007
British students jailed for terrorism plans
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/27/nterr127.xml
I'm off to join soldiers of Islam – meet you in paradise, schoolboy told parents
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2147956.ece
July 26, 2007
Extremist students are sentenced
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6917288.stm
Four Bradford University students and a schoolboy who planned to fight British soldiers and die as martyrs
Mohammed Irfan Raja, Aitzaz Zafa, Awaab Iqbal, Usman Ahmed Malik, and Akbar Butt
Students who descended into extremism
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6916654.stm
July 25, 2007
Schoolboy guilty of terrorism offences
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/25/nterror125.xml
July 15, 2006
Students face terrorism trial
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article687971.ece
"Four students will stand trial in April accused of having information likely to be of use in terrorism, it was decided yesterday at the Old Bailey."
"Aitzaz Zafar, 19, of Bishop Street, Rochdale, Lancashire, Usman Ahmed Malik, 20, of Laisteridge Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, Awaab Iqbal, 19, of Grove Terrace, Bradford, and Mohammed Irfan Raja, 18, of Holcombe Road, Ilford, Essex, were remanded on conditional bail."
"They variously deny 12 charges under the Terrorism Act. The charges relate to documents, CDs and computers containing items such as a military guide to terrorism.
