By Matthew Champion.

Home secretary Alan Johnson has "some explaining to do" after effectively releasing a long-time terror suspect from house arrest.

Once regarded as one of the most dangerous terror suspects in the UK, the man known only as AF has been released from a three-year-old control order because the government does not want to disclose secret evidence against him.

AF, of joint British and Libyan nationality, has never been charged or heard the nature of the allegations against him, but the control order had restricted his movements and virtually confined him to his own home.

But after the law lords ruled in July that three suspects’ control orders were illegal and ordered the government to disclose the case against them, home secretary Mr Johnson has taken the decision to release AF, born in 1981, rather than risk jeopardising intelligence sources in open court.

The other two terror suspects are also likely to have their control orders revoked.

Lord Pannick QC, who led AF’s legal team, told the Times: "The home secretary has some explaining to do.

"Does he now accept that there was no need for the control order which imposed severe restrictions on AF… or does he still think there is a need for controls but is unwilling to provide details of the allegations against AF?

"If the latter, does he accept that the control order regime is defective and should be scrapped?"

Carl Richmond, a solicitor with Middleweeks who acts on behalf of AF, said his client felt "numb… almost disbelief".

"The letter came out of the blue, with no warning," he said.

"AF has always insisted that he has done nothing wrong. Clearly any evidence was such that the home secretary felt unable to disclose it. But we would argue that it was not material and could not have been relied upon in any case."

The Home Office said in response: "We do not comment about control orders."

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