LONDON - Ministers faced a wave of outrage yesterday after ordering the deportation from Britain of a leading Islamic dissident amid suspicions that they were bowing to pressure from Saudi Arabia.
Prof Mohammed Masari, leader of the fundamentalist Committee for the Defence of Legitimate Rights (CDLR), was given 10 days to lodge an appeal or face expulsion to the Caribbean island of Dominica.
Immigration Minister Ann Widdecombe confirmed the deportation order was motivated primarily by the need to maintain good relations with Saudi Arabia.