TERRORISM charges against a volunteer who fought against Isis in Syria and his supporters were dropped without explanation yesterday by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). 

Dan Burke, who fought alongside the People’s Defence Forces (YPG) to rid northern Syria of Isis, had been held on remand since December, while Paul Newey and his son Sam Newey had been on bail on charges of assisting terrorism.

All three had been charged with assisting a fourth man, another of Mr Newey’s sons, also called Dan, to return to Syria to rejion the YPG. The judge directed that not-guilty verdicts be entered on all charges.

It is uderstood that a further hearing will take place next week after the defence asked the CPS to provide a detailed explanation of its decision. 

Kurdistan Solidarity Network (KSN), Plan C and the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol) had been campaigning for Mr Burke to be freed and for charges against all three to be dropped.

KSN’s Sophie Harper demanded that the government ended criminalisation of YPG volunteers and those who support them.

She said: “The Peoples’ and Womens’ (YPJ) Defence forces of the revolution in north-east Syria have been the deciding factor in the territorial defeat of Daesh, and have helped prevent more massacres and genocide from taking place.

“Thousands of people from all over the world have risked their lives to join the struggle against fascism in north-east Syria. Their achievements should be celebrated, not criminalised.”