Jeremy Corbyn: Convicted terrorists should ‘not necessarily’ serve full prison sentences
People convicted of terrorism offences should ‘not necessarily’ serve full prison sentences, according to Jeremy Corbyn.
It was revealed yesterday that London Bridge attacker Usman Khan only served half of his 16-year sentence for plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange.
Read more: London Bridge attacked was convicted terrorist behind stock exchange bombing plot
When asked by Sky News this morning if people convicted of terrorism offences should always serve a prison full sentence, he replied: “Not necessarily, no.
“I think it depends on circumstances, depends on the sentence, but crucially it depends on what they’ve done in prison.
“There has to be an examination of how our prison services work.”
The comments come as Boris Johnson yesterday announced sweeping new anti-terror laws to ensure convicted terrorists would not be eligible for early release and would spend at least 14 years behind bars.
Speaking to the BBC today, Johnson said that government legislation around automatic early release of prisoners meant Khan only served half of his sentence.
He added there was 74 other people convicted of terror offences that have been granted early release.
Johnson said: “Although it is very early I think it is legitimate to look at the case and ask ourselves that question – ‘how can [Khan] be out that early?
“The answer is, I’m afraid, he was out becuse he was on automatic early release.
“Legally, there was no way of stopping him on the basis of his sentence.”
Khan was still wearing an electronic GPS tag from prison when he killed two people on London Bridge on Friday.
He was convicted of terrorism offences in 2012 and released in December 2018.
Among the conditions set for the 28-year-old’s release was that he had to attend the government’s terrorist rehabilitation programme – the desistance and disengagement programme.
One of Khan’s victims was yesterday named as 25-year-old Cambridge University graduate Jack Merritt.
Read more: Commuters told to avoid London Bridge after terrorist incident
His father, David Merritt, rebuked Johnson’s plan to enact harsher sentences of those convicted of terrorist offences.
He tweeted: “My son, Jack, who was killed in this attack, would not wish his death to be used as the pretext for more draconian sentences or for detaining people unnecessarily.”