Detainees withdraw appeals

Four detainees have withdrawn appeals to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) against their detention. The four men are all Algerian. Their identities are protected by a court oder; they are known only as I, K, Q and V.

The four men were orginally detained under the Anti-Terrirism Crime and Security Act 2001, then released last year after the Law Lords ruled their detention to be unlawful. They were immediately placed under restrictive "control orders" and then in August 2005 they were arrested again pending deportation because the government claims they are a national security risk. They have never been charged with any criminal offence.

Lawyers for Q told Siac he had taken the "extraordinary step" of withdrawing his appeal because he had lost faith in its ability to give him a fair trial.