Overview

• Haroon Aswat, 50, is set to be released from a UK psychiatric hospital and return to his family in Batley, West Yorkshire, following a High Court decision.
• Aswat, linked to the 7/7 London bombings and al-Qaeda, was convicted in the US for plotting to establish a terrorist training camp in Oregon in 1999.
• Authorities have not conducted a formal risk assessment since Aswat's return to the UK in 2022, despite police warnings that he remains a national security risk.
• Diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Aswat's mental health treatment has complicated efforts to fully evaluate his threat level or address his extremist ideology.
• Political and counterterrorism experts are calling for urgent legislative reforms to close legal gaps that hinder risk assessments and public safety measures.