The case of a Palestinian GP, imprisoned on remand in Northern Ireland for an alleged terror offence – after being trapped in an MI5 sting – has already attracted global attention. Dr Issam Bassalat, also known as Issam Hijjawi, is well known in Scotland and further afield as an outspoken advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people.
The prosecution claim that the doctor was part of a plot by the New IRA to source weapons from the Middle East. He has been charged with one count of preparatory acts of terrorism; nine other people – two women and seven men – have also been charged, many with directing terrorism and membership of the New IRA, a violent republican organisation.
The charges are connected to a carefully executed MI5 operation involving a Glasgow born agent, named in court as Dennis McFadden, who had been bedded in with the republican terror group for almost a decade. McFadden has since fled his home on the outskirts of Belfast and is believed to be living in protective custody.
