#LondonBridge attacker was convicted terrorist out on license.

All returning ISIS fighters will also receive soft prison sentences then swiftly released. Allowing them back into country will be error of historic proportions. 1/9

My piece in Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11270303/Returning-Isil-fighters-should-be-deported-to-the-countries-where-they-committed-their-atrocities.html

ISIS carried out their crimes in territory of one of two sovereign states: Iraq and Syria. So it is not for us to decide what we should do with these people. UK must deport them back to stand trial for crimes against those ppl – as in any criminal case. 2/9

Syria poses problems but Iraq will serve its purpose as ISIS do not recognise border between the two and crossed it as needed. Iraq has an imperfect legal system. But Iraqis bore brunt of ISIS crimes. They have the right to prosecute or set free anyone who they wish. 3/9

CIA-trained Iraqi intelligence have better capacity to gather evidence for prosecutions than some UK-based Met officer or public prosecutor. They have cell-phone records, social media accounts, geolocations and interviews from 1000s detainees and victims. Evidence gold mine. 4/9

But most importantly. If foreigner came here & committed these atrocities would we allow them to return to soft prison sentence & deradical program? Never. So why deny ISIS victims justice? Yazidis & others suffered immensely and we must ensure they all get day in court. 5/9

We need to work with our international partners to set up special tribunals: No death penalty. No torture. Fully transparent. Highest legal standards. If individual fighters are cleared, then we can discuss allowing them back. Until then their victims deserve justice. 6/9

80s & 90s UK gave sanctuary to most radical Islamist extremists in the world under political asylum. Many were openly jihadis, too radical even for their own highly conservative societies. Our open door asylum policy allowed individuals like... 7/9

Abu Qatada - intellectual godfather of Al Qaeda, Abu Hamza, Omar Bakri, and Sheikh-Faisal to settle in UK, live off state benefits & radicalise a generation of young Muslims. It seems we are once again ignoring the long-term detrimental effect such ideologues pose to society. 8/9

Returning #ISIS fighters will be lionised in prisons giving them new stock to radicalise. No matter how regretful they may seem now. Once they are back, they will soon regain their confidence & extremist ideology and we will see many more London Bridge type attacks. 9/9