British courts have ordered the release of a key September 11 suspect detained shortly after the attacks, even though the man, while in captivity, apparently took a female staff member hostage and tried to set off an explosion: First suspect set to win freedom.

A SUSPECTED terrorist whose imprisonment without trial was judged illegal by Law Lords is set to walk free within days after his lawyers made a court application for bail.

Scotland on Sunday can reveal that a High Court judge is currently considering whether to grant bail to Abu Rideh, one of 12 men held on suspicion of terrorism following the September 11 attacks.

The Palestinian is suspected of having links to associates of Osama bin Laden both in the UK and overseas and has been detained without trial for the past three years.

Rideh, 33, from Surrey, is currently being held at Broadmoor because of his severe psychiatric problems. While there, he is alleged to have taken a female member of staff hostage and to have tried to cause an explosion.

Last week, the case of Rideh and eight other suspected terrorists plunged the government into a constitutional crisis.

Nine Law Lords ruled on Thursday morning that their indefinite detention breached human rights but the government has refused to release the prisoners while it considers its position.

It has now emerged that later that day, Rideh’s application for bail went before a judge at a special court.

Many of the detainees periodically applied for bail through the Special Immigration and Appeals Court (SIAC) but had their requests rejected. Experts say that in the light of the Law Lords’ ruling it is now far more likely Rideh’s application will be granted. It is even possible Rideh will be at liberty before Christmas.