Moroccan wins UK fight against extradition to Spain

LONDON (Reuters) - A Moroccan accused by Spain of terrorist offences linked to the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001 won a legal fight on Wednesday against extradition from Britain.

Lawyers for Farid Hilali, who is suspected by Spain of links with a Syrian-born al Qaeda cell leader and who has been prison in Britain for more than three years, were granted a court order which could soon allow him to be released.

In a High Court ruling, two of the country's most senior judges said Hilali's detention had become "unlawful".

Spanish prosecutors had accused Hilali of having links to Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, who was convicted but then cleared on appeal in Madrid last year of "conspiracy to commit terrorist murder" in connection with the September 11 attacks.

"The Supreme Court of Spain acquitted Barakat Yarkas of conspiring with anyone to commit the 9/11 atrocities," Hilali's solicitor, Muddassar Arani, said in a statement after Wednesday's ruling.

"In spite of all this, the Spanish lower court and the prosecutor persisted in saying that they had a case against Farid Hilali, but failed to provide any detail."

Hilali was arrested in Britain in September 2003 and has been in jail since then.

Arani said the High Court's ruling confirmed that Hilali's detention was now "arbitrary and unjustified".

Hilali will remain in prison for the time being, however, since the High Court judges refused him bail pending a decision on his immigration status.