Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg walked free from Belmarsh prison yesterday after seven terrorism-related charges against him were dropped.
At a pre-trial hearing lasting less than five minutes, the CPS said that it would offer no evidence. He had been charged with conducting training at a camp in Syria and possessing articles of use to terrorists.
The hasty and mysterious dropping of the charges has prompted speculation among analysts. The Times claims that Begg was released after MI5 provided "new information" that fatally undermined his prosecution. The paper adds that the "last-minute" intervention by MI5 confused and disappointed police and prosecutors, causing tension between the various arms of the state.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to the BBC, the West Midlands Police assistant chief constable Marcus Beale told reporters that police "accepted that Moazzam Begg was an innocent man". He said: "New material has recently been disclosed to police and CPS, which has a significant impact on key pieces of evidence that underpinned the prosecution's case."
However, Beale said that he was unable to offer further details because "explaining what this newly revealed information is would mean discussing other aspects of the case which would be unfair and inappropriate as they are no longer going to be tested in court."
One theory suggests that the case was dropped due to behind-the-scenes efforts to free British hostages held by Islamic State in Syria. As The Times explains, Cage, the campaign group founded by Begg, has maintained a high-profile campaign for the release of Alan Henning, the Manchester aid volunteer who was taken hostage while in Syria.
The release came as a blow for Home Secretary Theresa May, who just 24 hours earlier had made hard-hitting promises to pursue extremists at the Tory party conference.
Begg was also reportedly disappointed not to have the opportunity to clear his name categorically. On his release, he told reporters: "To be honest I wanted my day in court." He blames his arrest on a "knee-jerk reaction" and "demonising" of the Muslim community.
-
France political crisis: what does Bayrou's gamble mean for Macron?The French president could see his authority damaged beyond repair should another of his governments fail
-
A private zoo run by Asia's richest family is facing criticism and investigationsUnder the radar The zoo is owned by Anant Ambani, the son of Asia's richest person
-
Sudoku medium: August 28, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drugSpeed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policySpeed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UKSpeed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakersSpeed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
-
Anti-Semitism in America: a case of double standards?Speed Read Officials were strikingly reluctant to link Texas synagogue attack to anti-Semitism
