Erris's Journal: UK Student Arrested for Downloading Manual from US Gov.

It is against the law to posses terrorist related literature in the UK. A graduate student studying terror tactics found out the hard way what happens to thought criminals in a police state.

The student had obtained a copy of the al-Qaida training manual from a US government website for his research into terrorist tactics. ... the document was found by a university staff member on an administrator's [Hisham Yezza] computer. ... Despite his Nottingham University supervisors insisting the materials were directly relevant to his research, Rizwaan Sabir, 22, was held for nearly a week under the Terrorism Act [and] has spoken of the "psychological torture" he endured in custody.

Sabir's family home was searched and their computer and mobile phones seized. They were released uncharged six days later but Yezza, who is Algerian, was immediately rearrested on unrelated immigration charges and now faces deportation.

Dr Alf Nilsen, a research fellow at the university's school of politics and international relations, said that Yezza is being held at Colnbrook immigration removal centre, due to be deported on Tuesday. "If he is taken to Algeria, he may be subjected to severe human rights violations after his involvement in this case. He has been in the UK for 13 years. His work is here, his friends are here, his life is here."

The University staff are also objecting to the violation of academic freedom and police power to arrest before properly investigating.

Discussion by D Afifi is here. The 24 hour lag was worthwhile for including news of a protest march by faculty.