Three Men Convicted of Plotting Transatlantic Airline Bombings Could Be Released.
Three men who were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010 for plotting to blow up passenger aircraft using liquid explosives could be released from British prisons by the end of this year.
The Telegraph reported on Monday, August 10, that Arafat Waheed Khan, Waheed Zaman, and Ibrahim Savant, three British-Pakistani nationals, had been recruited by Abdullah Ahmed Ali, an al-Qaeda member and the mastermind behind the plot, to carry out deadly attacks on transatlantic flights.
According to the report, the three men were convicted in 2010 for their involvement in a conspiracy to murder and were expected to serve at least 20 years in prison. However, all three are now eligible to have their cases considered for parole.
Waheed Zaman’s parole hearing is scheduled for September 7, Arafat Waheed Khan’s for September 21, and Ibrahim Savant’s for November 12. If parole is granted, all three could be released from prison following a decision by the Parole Board.
According to the Telegraph, the plot’s mastermind had developed a homemade bomb containing hydrogen peroxide that could be disguised as a beverage. The group had selected seven transatlantic flights as potential targets and had even recorded martyrdom videos.
The plot was ultimately foiled before it could be carried out, but it had far-reaching consequences for the aviation industry, prompting changes to regulations governing the carrying of liquids on passenger flights in many countries around the world.
The UK Parole Board has stated that decisions on whether the men should be released will be based on an assessment of the potential risk they may pose to the public if released. The board also emphasized that, where release is considered possible, it must determine whether any existing risk can be effectively managed.
The board added that protecting the public remains its primary consideration when reviewing parole cases and that each decision will be made after assessing the individual circumstances and the level of potential risk involved.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
