UK clamping down on release of convicted terrorists

The U.K. is clamping down on the release of convicted terrorists after a Sunday incident involving a recently released Islamic militant who is stabbed two people in south London.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to implement increased restrictions after the attack last weekend and November’s London Bridge stabbing that resulted in two deaths. 

He said the November attack has already prompted government efforts “to strengthen every element of our response to terrorism — including longer prison sentences and more money for the police,” Reuters reported.

Johnson’s interior minister, Priti Patel, who manages police, said the government expects to release its new plans Monday, Reuters and The Associated Press reported. After both attacks, the government said it plans to stop the early release of convicted terrorists, double terror sentences and revamp the process of releasing these prisoners back into society.

Johnson acknowledged the difficulty of addressing prisoners already in the system for terror crimes, saying the government doesn’t want to require intense surveillance of released prisoners.  

“It is time to take action to ensure, irrespective of the law we are bringing in, people in the current stream don’t qualify automatically for early release,” he said, according to the AP.

Police have identified Sudesh Amman, 20, as the Sunday attacker in Streatham. He stabbed two people with a 10-inch knife and was shot dead by police. He had been released on Friday just halfway through his sentence.

He was previously imprisoned in 2018 for owning terrorist documents and disseminating terrorist publications, according to Reuters.

Police had been tracking Amman when he attacked outside a pharmacy Sunday.

The suspect had previously celebrated ISIS, shared al Qaeda media and urged his girlfriend to behead her parents.