Justice Secretary David Lammy has been urged to prevent the early release of “one of Britain’s most dangerous terrorists” jailed for a bomb plot set to be released in weeks.
Described as “one of Britain’s most dangerous terrorists”, Zahid Iqbal was jailed for a plot to bomb an Army base in Luton, now set to be released from jail three years early despite expert advice against doing so.
Iqbal, along with Mohammed Sharfaraz Ahmed, Umar Arshad and Syed Farhan Hussain, formed part of a “terrorist gang” and admitted to discussing a theoretical attack on the site back in 2013.
During his sentencing, the 31-year-old, who was also one of the gang’s ringleaders, was sentenced to life in prison, with the judge imposing a custodial sentence of at least 11 years and three months, with a five-year extension period.
Despite this, the parole board recently ruled that “Al-Qaeda-inspired” Iqbal could be allowed back out onto the streets of Britain three years earlier than his maximum sentence.
Responding to the decision, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp wrote to Mr Lammy with a plea to prevent the early release of Iqbal.
The letter read: “We are writing regarding the decision by the parole board to release Zahid Iqbal, a member of a terrorist gang who plotted an Al-Qaeda inspired attack at a Territorial Army centre in Luton.
“We are deeply concerned about this decision, especially as both his prison offender manager and community offender manager said he should stay in prison.”
Mr Philp noted Iqbal was already released in 2021 on the direction of the parole board but had to be recalled in 2023.
Under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, the Justice Secretary has the power to veto recommendations to release criminals, including terrorists.
“We urge you to use this power to keep this dangerous criminal behind bars”, the letter continued.
“We all know the threat posed by Islamist extremism in this country. In Great Britain, Islamists are responsible for 94 per cent of all deaths caused by terrorism since 1999 and around 88 per cent of injuries caused by terrorism over the same period.
“We must take this threat seriously. That is why the Government must veto the decision to release Zahid Iqbal and keep him behind bars.”
Iqbal and peers spoke about creating an improvised explosive device (IED) between January 2011 and April 2012.
They discussed following instructions in an online Al-Qaeda manual “How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom”.
The pair were arrested after a series of raids were conducted at their homes across April 2012, following a joint operation led by counter-terrorism police and security services.
The judge subsequently jailed Iqbal after he admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism.
The controversial decision to release the terrorist will unfold in a matter of weeks, under strict conditions including staying at designated addresses and disclosing details of his relationships.
The parole board has told GB News: “The panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on his victims.
“It is standard prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during a hearing, which often lasts a full day or more.
“Parole reviews are undertaken throughout and with extreme care. Protecting the community is our number one priority”.
