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Shambles: the Raed Salah case

July 21, 2011 13:30
Under fire: Theresa May

By

Marcus Dysch,

Marcus Dysch

1 min read

The release on bail of Islamic political activist Raed Salah threatens the Home Office's revised counter-extremism strategy and puts the government at risk of ridicule, according to the Community Security Trust.

Sheikh Salah, the leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was detained in London last month after allegedly flouting a ban - imposed by Home Secretary Theresa May - on his entering the country.

A CST spokesman said the case would now provide "a crucial test" for the government. He said: "Having been seriously undermined by immigration system failures, it now risks ridicule if the Home Office lawyers cannot properly present the case against him."

Board of Deputies chief executive Jon Benjamin said: "Raed Salah was supposed to be excluded, but wasn't. Fighting his case here may well give him an advantage that he would not otherwise have had, which just confirms the importance of better co-ordination [between the Home Office and Border Agency] in the first place."