Shah Rahman was recalled to prison but can now be released once again

A terrorist who plotted to bomb London Stock Exchange can be released from prison for a second time, the Parole Board has said.

Shah Rahman was one of four al Qaida-inspired British extremists who admitted engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism in 2012.

A handwritten target list found at the home of one of the men gave names and addresses of the then-London mayor Boris Johnson, two rabbis, the US embassy and the stock exchange.

Undercover anti-terror police managed to stop the conspiracy before firm dates could be set for attacks.

Rahman, then aged 29, was jailed for 12 years, with five years on extended licence.

He was first released from prison in 2017 as an automatic release point for his jail term.

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But he was recalled in March 2022 and later jailed for a further eight months after police uncovered a secret bank account which breached the terms of his release.

The latest decision to free him comes following a second review by the Parole Board since his recall.

The first, held in February 2023, said that Rahman should remain in prison.

A second hearing took place on January 24 this year, with the Parole Board deciding that his imprisonment was ‘no longer necessary for the protection of the public’.

In a summary of the decision, the board said: “The panel determined that there were no heightened concerns of an extremist risk, and that Mr Rahman met the legal test for release.”

Rahman has completed sessions with a specialist psychologist after returning to prison, which focused on his breach and better understanding his faith.

The document read: “Rahman had said that he became radicalised by events in Iraq and Afghanistan, that he lacked a proper understanding of Islam and that he had been influenced by extremists.”

There were some reported concerns about Rahman on his return to custody, including the people he associated with.

But he had not been subject to security attention and there were no concerns recorded after October 2024.

According to the summary, professionals saw his progress back in prison.

It was concluded that a plan with ‘extensive monitoring’ and about 30 licence conditions would be ‘robust enough’ to manage Rahman in the community.

But it also said a representative for the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood submitted he should not be released.

Conditions imposed on Rahman indicate that he must live at a designated address, submit to enhanced supervision including curfews and GPS tagging, and comply with conditions to manage extremist offenders such as by allowing police to search him.

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “This decision was made by the independent Parole Board after a thorough risk assessment.

“Terrorist offenders, like Rahman, face some of the strictest supervision on release and face an immediate return to prison if they breach their licence conditions.”