Cardiff terrorist sues MoJ over licence changes

Omar Latif, jailed for his role in an al Qaida-inspired terrorist group, is suing the Ministry of Justice for imposing new conditions on his licence.

Latif was one of nine men jailed in 2012 for plotting to bomb the London Stock Exchange. He was released in 2016 but the Ministry of Justice imposed new conditions on his licence after Usman Khan's murderous London Bridge attack while on licence following his early release. The nine men jailed in 2012, which included Khan, had also tried to raise funds to build a terrorist training camp in Pakistan and recruit British people to attend.

Latif claimed the MoJ acted unlawfully, although the government department claim that the additional licence conditions imposed on him are lawful.

Latif was 28 when he was jailed for 10 years and four months for attending meetings with the intention of assisting others to prepare or commit acts of terrorism. He was automatically released from prison halfway through his sentence in February 2016, but was recalled to prison the following September over allegations he tampered with his electronic monitoring tag. He was again released on licence in May 2018 on terms set by the Parole Board.

On 29 November 2019, Unman Khan fatally stabbed Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones during a prisoner rehabilitation event at Fishmongers' Hall, near London Bridge, while out on licence. Khan had been released from jail on licence in 2018, halfway through a 16-year sentence for terrorism offences.

Five days later, Latif was told that ‘senior officials’ at the MoJ had imposed new conditions on his licence. His lawyers say the additional conditions, which prevent him from attending 'any meetings or gatherings of more than 50 people', or entering the City of London without prior permission, are unlawful.