Over 160 Convicted Terrorists Released from Prison Early in UK, Report Shows
163 set free in last 7 years alone after being jailed for serious terror offenses
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Over 160 convicted terrorists have been released from UK prisons early, according to a troubling new report.
The figures come as British MPs are debating newly proposed legislation that would stop terrorists from being released early.
An ex-minister has revealed that an astonishing number of terror convicts have had their jail sentences cut short.
Sir John Hayes, who served as the Minister of State for Security until 2016, told lawmakers that, in the last seven years alone, 163 convicted terrorists have been released early, according to a report by The Sun.
“Leaving aside the short sentences, the more serious terrorist prisoners have been released in significant numbers,” Sir Hayes warned.
“Just imagine the effect on our security services and police of having to deal with the possible consequences of those releases,” he added.
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The Terrorist Offenders Bill will now head to the House of Lords after being quickly passed by the House of Commons.
Ministers are pushing to get the new legislation on the statute book by February 27 before the next wave of dangerous terror convicts is due for release.
If passed, the new legislation could see the return of indeterminate sentences for dangerous terrorists.
The bill was written on the heels of the Streatham terror attack committed by 20-year-old Sudesh Amman.
Earlier this month, ISIS supporter Amman stabbed two innocent people in Streatham, South London just days after being released from jail.
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Prior to his arrest, Amman sent WhatsApp messages to a family member claiming that, as Yazidi women were slaves, the Koran made it permissible to rape them, according to the BBC.
He sent beheadings videos to his girlfriend - whom he said should kill her "kuffar" parents - and told her: "If you can't make a bomb because family, friends or spies are watching or suspecting you, take a knife, molotov, sound bombs or a car at night and attack the tourists (crusaders), police and soldiers of taghut, or Western embassies in every country you are in this planet."
In messages to her, Amman said he had pledged allegiance to Islamic State and wished to carry out acid attacks.
Elsewhere, he asked if he could have a knife delivered to her address and told her he considered ISIS to be the best thing to happen to Islam.
He wrote that he preferred the idea of a knife attack over the use of bombs and discussed whether he would stand his ground if police came to arrest him.
In a notebook, he listed his "goals in life," which included going to "jannah" (paradise) and to "die as a shuhada" (martyr).
Amman only halfway through his three and a half year prison term for terrorist offenses.
