The imprisonment of Babar Ahmad is a blight on the British judicial system. He has been held in prison for eight years without ever having been before a court on any charge. Not since the Treason Trials of the late eighteenth century has the principle of habeas corpus been suspended in this manner.

Then too it was for unfounded fears – namely that the revolution in France would spread to England – and today it is because there are fears that any Muslim with an interest in current affairs and unjust wars, is a terrorist. The Americans, who have a one-sided extradition agreement with the UK, where suspected American terrorists are not sent here but suspected UK terrorists are sent from the UK to face trial in the United States, have a disgusting recent history of injustice towards suspected terrorists. And they do not have to provide evidence to have a UK citizen extradited.