JURIST - Paper Chase: UK police charge 11 in foiled airplane bombing plot

[JURIST] UK authorities on Monday charged 11 people [press release] in connection with the foiled terror plot [JURIST report] to bomb airplanes crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Eight were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and with preparing acts of terrorism, a violation of Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 [text], for the alleged plan to manufacture a bomb to explode on an aircraft. In addition, three people were charged under the Terrorism Act 2000 [text], one with possession of articles useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism, and two with failing to disclose information of material assistance in preventing an act of terrorism. One detainee was released without charge.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, who leads the MPS Anti-Terrorist Branch [official website], told reporters that the international scope of the investigation necessitated the delay in announcing the charges. Under the Terrorism Act 2006, authorities are permitted 28 days to investigate before announcing terrorism-related charges, and last week, a British judge extended the detention of 23 suspects [JURIST report] to facilitate the investigation, prompting one suspect to challenge his detention [JURIST report]. Eleven suspects who have not been charged remain in custody. Among the evidence the prosecution will rely upon, according to Clarke, are video and audiotapes of the suspects taken before the August 10th arrests, the bombmaking materials, so-called "martyrdom videos," and thousands of gigabytes of digital information discovered from computers, digital media, as well as forensic evidence. BBC News has more.

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