Libyan national Faraj Faraj Hassan Al-Saadi (represented by John RWD Jones as junior counsel) who has been under restriction for the past six years in the United Kingdom on terrorism charges has won his long court battle to have his control order revoked (BAILII report read). John RWD Jones had already successfully represented Faraj Hassan in early December 2009 in a joint case before the European Court of Justice, in which Simon Cox appeared for the other client, Chafiq Ayadi (judgement read).

Faraj Hassan came to the UK in 2002, fleeing persecution in his native Libya. He was arrested shortly thereafter and spent 15 months detained without trial before being eventually charged under the Terrorism Act in 2003 and served with an Italian extradition warrant. Although the extradition order was ultimately suspended he continued to be detained for another four years in HMP Long Lartin on the basis of secret evidence, with the government seeking to deport him to Libya. Whilst his deportation was ruled unlawful, he was then made the subject of a control order in addition to a UN financial sanction which prevented him from obtaining any income.

Faraj Hassan's main contention was that almost eight years had passed since the last form of terrorism alleged, during the bulk of which he had been detained, or under bail restrictions or a control order, and in those circumstances there was no necessity for a control order.