Two of the three British residents who returned from Guantanamo Bay yesterday have been arrested in London over Spanish extradition warrants on terrorism-related charges today, while the third was released without charge.

Jamil el-Banna, Omar Deghayes and Abdennour Sameur, flew into London under police guard after being held at the American internment camp without being charged.

Mr el-Banna, who was held for five years after he was seized in Gambia and handed over to US authorities, was arrested this morning after being accused in Spain of belonging to an al-Qaeda terror cell called the Islamic Alliance between 1996 and 2001.

He appeared in court and was later granted bail and released this afternoon where he was welcomed by his family – including a young son he has never met – for the first time since 2002.

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What has motivated Spain to act now is a mystery, America has had Mr el-Banna in custody for five years and laid no charges

Sean O’Neill

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Meanwhile Mr Deghayes, a 38-year-old Libyan, spent the day at Paddington Police station where he was held under the Terrorism Act 2000 and questioned on suspicion of the preparation, commission or instigation of terrorism acts

He was released this afternoon only to be re-arrested under EU extradition laws on behalf of Spain and then granted bail.

Mr Sameur, a 34-year-old Algerian, was also questioned under the same circumstances as Mr Deghayes in Paddington, but released without charge this afternoon.

In a hearing at the City of Westminster court earlier today Mr el-Banna, a 45-year-old Palestinian-Jordanian, was granted bail, with part of the £50,000 surety supplied by Oscar-winning British actress Vanessa Redgrave.

Ms Redgrave, an active human rights campaigner and member of the Guantanamo Human Rights Commission, sat in court alongside Mr el-Banna’s wife Sabah and other family members and supporters including Moazzam Begg, the Birmingham man who was freed from Guantanamo Bay in 2005.

Described by his lawyer Clive Stafford Smith as looking “like Santa Claus”, Mr el-Banna appeared in court to have aged dramatically since his being jailed in Guantanamo Bay. He had a straggly grey beard and long hair almost to his waist, and dressed in blue jacket over a tunic-style outfit.

He left just before 4pm, walking out the front doors of the court accompanied by his wife. The couple got into a taxi and headed for their north-west London home where it is believed they planned to celebrate what remains of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Mr el-Banna made a brief statement saying: “Thank you very much everybody, my solicitor, the British people, the British Government for your help. I’m tired. I want to go home and see my children.”

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