London, June 18 (ANI): A former Heathrow worker, Samina Malik of Pakistani origin, who called herself the "lyrical terrorist" because of the 'extremist' poems she wrote, has won an appeal against her conviction. 

She was accused of collecting information likely to be useful for those preparing a terrorist act, and was given a nine-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months at the Old Bailey last December. Malik became the first women convicted under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, sitting in the Court of Appeal with Justice Goldring and Justice Plender, quashed the conviction after the Crown conceded that it was unsafe.

He said: "We consider that there is a very real danger that the jury became confused and that the prosecution have rightly conceded that this conviction is unsafe."

Afterwards, the Crown Prosecution Service said it has decided not to seek a retrial in the case.

The head of the CPS's counter terrorism division, said 21 documents the prosecution relied on in Malik's trial "would no longer be held capable of giving practical assistance to terrorists".

"However, other documents in her possession, including the Al Qaeda Manual, the Terrorist's Handbook, the Mujahideen Poisons Handbook and several military manuals, clearly retain that potential.

"We, therefore, have no doubt that it was right to bring this prosecution." (ANI)

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