Court orders arrest of Briton convicted for financing terrorism

Budapest (MTI) – A Budapest court ordered on Thursday the expulsion arrest of one of two Britons previously convicted for financing terrorism and apprehended by Hungarian police last week on a train to Bucharest.

An international arrest warrant had been issued for Simon Jonathan Keeler and his travelling companion who had left the UK without a permit, violating the British counter-terrorism law.

Keeler, a London resident, has opted to undergo a simplified procedure and agreed to be expelled. The British authorities have until Nov. 29 to collect him, otherwise he must be set free.

Keeler told the court that he wanted to travel to his wife and children in Turkey.

Keeler and Trevor Brooks were travelling on an international service to Bucharest on Saturday when police asked them to provide documents proving their eligibility to be in Hungary or documents showing their citizenship. One of them carried only a British driving licence and the other handed over a Quran to police when asked for IDs.

The border police found the driving licence belonging to Keeler, showing that he was a 44-year-old British citizen, was valid but the other traveller could not be identified by the British consular service as a British citizen.

The men had been convicted for financing terrorism for 18 months and later received a three-and-a half-year prison term. In line with their sentence, they have to ask for a licence if they want to leave the UK in the ten years starting from their release in 2009.

A court decision is also expected concerning Keeler’s companion on Thursday afternoon.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters