Yasin Hassan Omar

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Omar at Warren Street on 21 July 2005

Yasin Hassan Omar (sometimes spelt Yassin) (born c. 1980) is a suspect in the attempted 21st July attacks on London's public transport system. He is suspected of attempting to detonate a device on the London Underground Victoria Line tube train between Warren Street and Oxford Circus tube stations^[1]. Police have given his age as 24^[2].

The BBC has reported that Omar was originally from Somalia and arrived in the UK as a child dependent of asylum seekers, in 1992. He was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2000^[1]

Omar was one of four men arrested on Wednesday 27 July 2005 at 0430 BST, in a property on Heybarnes Road, in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, England. He was then taken to London's Paddington Green police station for questioning^[3].

Controversially, police used a 'Taser' stun gun to detain him. This was criticised as an incredible risk by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair, saying "If there is a bomb on that body, then the bomb is going to go off". This risk was played down by West Midlands Police, who said Sir Ian Blair did not know the full circumstances surrounding the arrest, but they still voluntarily referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission^[4].

On August 6 he was charged with four criminal charges^[2]:

On or before 21st July, conspiracy with others unknown to murder passengers on the London transport system.
On 21st July, attempted murder of passengers on the London transport system.
On or before 21st July, conspiracy with others unknown to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property.
On 21st July, unlawful and malicious possession of explosives with the intent of endangering life or causing serious damage to property.

On April 28, 2006, Omar, along with his co-accused pleaded not guilty to all charges^[5]. He is currently (February 2007) on trial with 5 other suspects^[6].

His fiancée, Fardosa Abdullah was arrested on October 4, 2006. She is charged with assisting Omar in evading arrest and with failing to disclose information which could have lead to Omar's arrest or conviction "as soon as reasonably practicable"^[7].