An asylum seeker who UK spies believe to be an ISIS supporter has won the right to remain in Britain after judges ruled he is not a threat to national security.
The 30-year-old Iranian Kurd, who can’t be named for legal reasons, first arrived in Britain on the back of a lorry in 2016 and was granted refugee status.
In 2020, he travelled to see family in Iraqi Kurdistan. The government claims he then re-entered Iran resulting in his refugee status being revoked and being unable to fly back to the UK.
The man then managed to get back into the UK on a small boat from France in March 2021 and claimed asylum for a second time, which was refused by then home secretary Priti Patel, who argued he was a risk to national security.
Details of the man’s case have emerged when his appeal to stay in the UK was heard by a panel of judges at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.
The UK’s internal security agency, MI5, made a National Security Assessment of the man, known as D8, in March 2022, court documents show.
“We assess that D8 holds an Islamist extremist mindset and is supportive of ISIS,” said the spies, referring to an alternative name for ISIS adding they believe he is “a threat to national security”.
The reasons MI5 gave for their assessment of the man as being a supporter of the violent Islamist extremists remain secret as part of closed evidence.
The decision to revoke his asylum status was made based on the UN’s Refugee Convention which allows this on the grounds there were “serious reasons for considering that he was guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles” of the UN.
But the man himself denies he is a supporter of ISIS and court documents state it “is common knowledge that Kurds, generally speaking, despise” the group.
The man is a supporter of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan “which would be inconsistent with an extremist or pro-ISIS mindset”.
Two cousins of the man gave evidence on his behalf and said they “deny that he holds extremist views”.
The judge also said it was apparent that the man “suffers from mental health difficulties and he appears to be tormented by internal demons”.
They also ruled that it is a “fact” that he was in Iran but the Home Secretary has been unable to prove he was there openly and as such did “not voluntarily reavail himself of the protection” of that country.
The Commission concluded that “it has not been demonstrated, applying the legal analysis we have set forth at length in this judgment, that D8 is a danger to national security”.
The man was granted asylum in the UK on the basis that he has a “well-founded fear of persecution in Iran”.
“The Government’s priority remains maintaining the safety and security of the UK. It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings,” a Home Office representative said:
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
The specs
BMW M8 Competition Coupe
Engine 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8
Power 625hp at 6,000rpm
Torque 750Nm from 1,800-5,800rpm
Gearbox Eight-speed paddleshift auto
Acceleration 0-100kph in 3.2 sec
Top speed 305kph
Fuel economy, combined 10.6L / 100km
Price from Dh700,000 (estimate)
On sale Jan/Feb 2020
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
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Sole survivors
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- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
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On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
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