The United Kingdom continues to draw criticism for its tendency to show leniency toward Islamic criminals. From the Pakistani Muslim grooming and rape gangs that scarred communities to the violent Jihadi extremists who plotted mass killings, British authorities have often been accused of shielding perpetrators rather than ensuring justice for victims.

In yet another alarming case, convicted Al Qaeda terrorist Haroon Rashid Aswat (50), who trained in Kashmir for militant activity and was linked as a mastermind of the 7/7 London bombings, is now preparing to walk free. UK authorities have decided to release him despite repeated warnings that he poses a “grave security risk.”

The decision came through High Court judge Robert Maurice Jay, who did not just approve Aswat’s release but also extended words of encouragement. In his remarks to the terrorist, Judge Jay stated:

“I know it can’t have been pleasant to be in custody in the United States all that time. I wish you all the best. The way forward is to continue with the medication, listen to the advice you receive, and stay away from the activities that previously led you to prison. Because you saw where it ended up and you do not want to go back to that, I am sure.”

These words of sympathy, delivered to a man involved in one of the deadliest terror attacks on British soil, have sparked outrage among political leaders and victims’ families.

Haroon Rashid Aswat’s background and deep ties to Islamic terrorism

Born in Batley, West Yorkshire, Haroon Rashid Aswat rose to prominence in extremist circles during the 1990s. In 2015, he was sentenced by a US court to 20 years in prison for plotting alongside radical preacher Abu Hamza to set up a terrorist training camp in Oregon.

After serving his term, he was repatriated to the UK in 2022. But instead of being kept in a high-security prison, he was placed under psychiatric care after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Authorities held him in mental health custody until his release was cleared recently.

Aswat himself admitted that he masterminded the July 7, 2005 London bombings, a day when four suicide bombers targeted the city’s transport network. The attack killed 52 innocent people and injured more than 700 others. He even publicly described himself as a terrorist, leaving little ambiguity about his identity.

Together with fellow extremist Ouassama Kassir, Aswat underwent jihadist training in Pakistan. He later admitted during his US trial that he openly supported Osama Bin Laden and pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda. Both men also travelled to Seattle, where they lived in a mosque for two months.

During that period, they radicalized young men by providing detailed terror training lessons. These included instructions on how to use various weapons, assemble and disassemble an AK-47 rifle, modify the weapon to make it fully automatic, and even convert it into a grenade-launching firearm. They also taught recruits how to build a homemade silencer.

The US investigation revealed that Aswat’s name appeared in a ledger recovered from an Al Qaeda safe house in Karachi in 2002. The same safe house was linked to operatives involved in planning the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

His connection to the London bombings became clearer when police traced 20 phone calls made by the suicide bombers to a device registered under his name. Shortly after the attack, he was arrested in Zambia carrying both a terror manual and bomb-making materials.

Ultimately, Aswat pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Each charge carried a potential sentence of 10 years. However, because time spent in UK custody awaiting extradition was counted, he did not serve the full 20-year sentence.

UK judge’s misplaced sympathy and loopholes in the law

Medical evaluations presented in court revealed that even during treatment at Broadmoor Hospital, Haroon Rashid Aswat continued to express violent jihadist views. Doctors acknowledged that while he could sometimes appear “relatively stable,” his extremist ideology remained a constant threat.

In April this year, when the Metropolitan Police sought a notification order to monitor him after release, the judge was told that Aswat still posed a risk of radical influence. His threats to kill Jews, Christians, and even certain groups of Muslims were highlighted as examples of his continuing dangerous outlook. The court heard that during abnormal mental states, his religious extremist rhetoric became amplified.

Despite acknowledging these risks, Judge Robert Jay chose to sympathize with Aswat. At one point, he told him: “You probably want to put all of this behind you now”, before adding that it “could not have been too pleasant being in American custody all that time.”

Because Aswat was kept in a psychiatric facility rather than prison, authorities were unable to carry out a formal terrorist risk assessment. As a result of a loophole, psychiatric patients like him are exempt from ankle-tag monitoring once released. This means that Aswat will return to West Yorkshire without any of the standard surveillance measures normally imposed on convicted terrorists.

The Metropolitan Police voiced strong objections. Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Rees warned: “He has spoken positively of his time with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and expressed aspirations to reconnect with them. Based on my experience, this is conduct which gives me grave concerns about the risk which the defendant poses to the UK’s national security and to the public.”

Public anger intensified after leading political figures condemned Judge Jay’s approach. Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK Party, said: “People are demanding much tougher justice. Aswat should be in a maximum security prison for the rest of his days, and Judge Jay should be dismissed.”

Similarly, Robert Jenrick, Shadow Justice Secretary, branded the judge’s sympathy an insult to victims. He stated: “It’s an insult to the victims of July 7. No one should wish luck or show sympathy to a convicted terrorist, least of all a High Court judge. Jay should be ashamed of acting as if he were a friend of an extremist.”