Suspect 'taught terrorists' children'

A terror suspect detained without trial in the UK set up a school which taught the children of some of the world's "most wanted" terrorists, a court has heard.

Mahmoud Abu Rideh, a Palestinian who has asylum in Britain, is appealing against his detention under anti-terrorism legislation introduced after 11 September.

The Home Office claims Mr Abu Rideh was raising and distributing funds for international terrorist groups and was involved with associates of Osama bin Laden.

But his lawyers told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission that his activities at the school, in Afghanistan, were part of relief work that he was carrying out.

Mr Abu Rideh is among several foreign terror suspects who were detained under the 2001 Anti-Terrorism and Security Act.

National security

The decision by Home Secretary David Blunkett to invoke the powers of the act to detain the suspects indefinitely was controversial.

The act says people can be held if they pose a threat to national security or have links to international terrorism but are foreign nationals who cannot be deported.

A three-man panel, headed by Mr Justice Ouseley, is hearing the appeals.

The Court of Appeal has already ruled that the government was correct in law to detain the men.

And an independent review concluded in February that the criteria for detaining them was met in every case.