Britain’s most senior al Qaida prisoner has been banned from reading his favourite revolutionary mag behind bars.
Jail chiefs are confiscating revolutionary communist publication Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! from convicted terrorist Rangzieb Ahmed.
The 39-year-old serving a life sentence at HMP Frankland, Co Durham, for plotting murderous attacks claims the ban is punishment for criticising the prison’s regime.
But the Prison Service said it was because it may pose a threat to “security or the good order of the prison”. Ahmed is understood to be appealing the decision claiming it’s against his human rights.
Critics have slammed the challenge as a “sick joke.”
A prison source said: “He’s had a copy of the magazine withheld after it published a whining article about his ‘harassment’ in prison.
“He’s upset because he thinks it’s his right to read his copy of the magazine in his cell but the governor at Frankland obviously thinks differently.”
Ahmed headed a three-man al Qaida cell which was preparing to commit mass murder. He was found guilty of plotting terrorism in 2008.
He was also found guilty of being an al Qaida member, along with his associate, taxi driver Habib Ahmed.
Counter-terrorism chiefs uncovered Rangzieb’s scheme when he gave Habib Ahmed three diaries to take from Dubai to the UK.
The diaries, which were in effect terrorism contact books, appeared to be blank but actually contained details of key al Qaida operatives written in invisible ink.
They included the phone number of the group’s former number three operative, Hamza Rabia, who was blown up in December 2005.
Rangzieb was sentenced to life and was told he will serve a minimum of 10 years.
At his sentencing, the judge, Mr Justice Saunders, said Rangzieb was “dedicated to the cause of Islamic terrorism” and called him “an extremely dangerous man”.
A Prison Service spokesman said withholding magazines was a decision for the governor of each individual jail on a case-by-case basis.
Any confiscated publications are locked in storage and the prisoner has the right to appeal against the governor’s decision.
Last night, Tory MP Philip Davies said: “Given the atrocities that have been caused by al Qaida it is a sick joke for one of their leading henchmen to be complaining about a breach of his human rights.
“I hope the Ministry of Justice stick to their guns. The human rights of terrorists and prisoners always seem to be more important than the rights of decent law abiding people in this country.”
The Prison Service spokesperson said: “Prison governors can confiscate any item that poses a threat to security or the good order of the prison.”
Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! is the official paper of the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG). It features articles about home and foreign affairs.
The RCG has previously organised protests outside Marks & Spencer stores in Scotland and northern England against the company’s support of Israel.
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