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News in Brief; An Algerian man detained four months ago under the Terrorism Act but never charged was released yesterday after being granted bail in Glasgow.

01 June 2003

AN ALGERIAN man detained four months ago under the Terrorism Act but never
charged walked free yesterday pending a fresh bid for asylum.

Ali Serir, 28, was granted bail at a hearing before a Home Office adjudicator in
Glasgow.

His wife Karen, 31, who is six months pregnant, said she was "very happy" as
well-wishers congratulated her outside.

Friends and supporters, including the Scottish Socialist Party leader, Tommy
Sheridan, welcomed his release.

"This is a fantastic result for a working class family from Glasgow who were
denied justice until now," he said.

Mr Serir was arrested on 6 February at his home in Royston, Glasgow, as part of
an anti-terrorist operation mounted across the UK.

He has never been charged with any offence and is now unlikely to face any,
according his legal team.

His lawyer, Aamer Anwar, told the hearing there had been insufficient grounds to
detain his client under the Immigration Act any further.

A deportation order against Mr Serir was cancelled last month after a fresh
application for asylum was lodged with the Home Office.

After the hearing, Mr Anwar claimed the Home Office had victimised his client
and officials had lied about his case to ensure he remained in custody. He called
for an inquiry into officials’ handling of the matter.

Following his release, Mr Serir was asked if he felt angry at his initial arrest by
anti-terrorism officers, he answered: "I can’t explain to you how angry I was,
because I was innocent - and I am innocent."

The application for asylum argues that Mr Serir will be persecuted as a
suspected terrorist by the Algerian authorities if he were ever to return to the
country.

Mr Serir first arrived in Britain in 2001, and married last year.