BBC wins court fight over interview ban

The BBC has won a High Court battle over a government refusal to allow it to film and broadcast an interview with a terrorist suspect detained in the UK for more than seven years without trial.

Two judges said yesterday that the case of Babar Ahmad, who has been detained without trial longer than any other British national in modern history, was “highly exceptional”.

Because of its unusual facts, Justice Secretary Ken Clarke’s refusal to allow the interview was a “disproportionate interference with freedom of expression” and must be quashed, the judges said.

The decision is a victory for the BBC and home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani.

Government lawyers indicated there would be no appeal, and talks would take place about the practicalities of arranging an interview.