A convicted terrorist has today failed in a bid to win his freedom from jail.

British-born Muslim student Mohammed Atif Siddique, 21, was hoping to be released as he attempts to overturn his conviction, which resulted in an eight-year prison sentence.

But his request for bail pending the outcome of his appeal was refused by judge Lord Matthews at a hearing today, a spokeswoman for the High Court in Edinburgh confirmed.

His solicitor later said his bid to have the conviction quashed would continue.

Aamer Anwar said: "Leave to appeal has been granted against conviction and sentence.

"We would expect a further hearing to take place in due course."

Siddique, a shopkeeper's son from Alva in Clackmannanshire, was sentenced in October after a four-week trial in Glasgow.

Branded a "wannabe suicide bomber" by prosecutors, he was jailed for eight years for a series of Islamist terrorism offences.

He was found guilty of providing training material on bomb-making and threatening to become a suicide bomber.

He was also convicted of possessing and distributing a range of terrorist material via websites and providing instructional material about guns and explosives over the internet.

Siddique's family insisted he was not a terrorist and had been made a scapegoat by the legal system, sentenced under "vague" terror legislation.

Mr Anwar is currently challenging an allegation of contempt of court as a result of a statement he made following his client's conviction.

Speaking outside the High Court in Glasgow last year, he fiercely denounced the guilty verdict as "a tragedy for justice and for freedom of speech".

By Hilary Duncanson

4:06pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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