Civil Liberties

The Australia connection

Mohammed Haneef is being held in a Brisbane jail for alleged involvement in the attempted car bombings in Britain last month. But does the evidence against the 27-year-old doctor stack up? By Barbara McMahon

In a photograph taken a few months ago on the golden sands of Surfer's Paradise in Queensland, Australia, Mohammed Haneef is shown smiling, with a protective arm around his young pregnant wife. The 27-year-old had recently left behind the grey skies of Britain, where he had been working as a junior doctor, for a job with better prospects at a hospital on the sunshine-soaked Gold Coast - and he looks like a young man with plenty to look forward to.

Today, any hopes Haneef may have had for the future are in tatters. In the wake of the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow last month, the Indian-born Muslim doctor - described by colleagues as "quiet and hardworking" - has been charged with supporting a terrorist organisation. A picture of him hunched in the back of a van, shoeless and wearing a prison jumpsuit, has been on the front page of every Australian newspaper, and he is now in jail, in solitary confinement. Despite the evidence against him being, at least on the face of it, weak and circumstantial, he is due to stand trial, and is almost certain to be deported whatever the outcome.

Absolutely appalling behaviour from the Australian government. Its beyond my understanding how anyone could treat a fellow human being this way.

Smith defends new counter-terror package

· Home secretary tells MPs 28-day limit is not enough
· Plan to permit post-charge questioning of suspects

The home secretary, Jacqui Smith, yesterday presented the first detailed evidence to MPs for the case to go beyond the 28-day limit for holding terror suspects without charge.

Ms Smith made clear that today's counter-terrorism measures to be outlined by Gordon Brown will contain a detailed analysis of why new powers are needed 18 months after MPs last settled the issue.

Earlier this year the former home secretary, John Reid, said he had yet to see evidence from the police that it was necessary to extend the limit on how long police could hold suspects in detention without charge. The deeply contentious issue led to the first Commons defeat for Tony Blair when he attempted to extend the limit to 90 days in November 2005.

This is all about political posturing, the government is trying to look tough. Its quite amazing, even during the height of the IRA bombing campaign no anti terror laws like this were put in place. The bomb makers aren't even very good. I knew all a long that the government would push this, the failed bombings gives them an excuse. This 90 days detention policy was already soundly defeated in 2005, but they keep pushing it, its obtuse behaviour from the British government.