Aljazeera has learned that a Spanish judge has ordered its correspondent Taysir Alluni released from jail and placed under mandatory house arrest pending his trial.

The release order is expected to be carried out late on Monday night or early Tuesday.

Alluni will then be taken to his home in Granada where he was first arrested in September 2003.

He is to appear before Spanish police every day while awaiting his trial. He is likely to be under house arrest during the trial as well.

Syrian-born Alluni - a Spanish citizen - was first arrested in 2003 on suspicion of links with al-Qaida as part of an investigation into suspected Islamist operations in Spain.

Alluni's trial, and those of 18 others suspected of ties to al-Qaida, is expected to begin in late March or early April.

Government pressures

Haitham Manaa, spokesperson for the Paris-based Arab Committee for Human Rights, said three factors led to Alluni's release:

"The involvement of the Qatari and Spanish governments, the appeals from Islamic and international organisations and the International Solidarity Campaign to Free Alluni launched by Aljazeera were instrumental in pressuring the courts to release him."

Al-Manaa, who had visited Alluni in a maximum security prison ward housing members of crime gangs and Basque separatists, said the journalist was in extremely poor health.

"His high morale is keeping him alive," al-Manaa said.

Early reaction

In the first reaction to his release to house arrest, Yusuf al-Shuli, deputy head of the Arab committee for defending journalists, said the news was pleasing to all the organisation and individuals who laboured for Alluni's release.

"All those were much pleased for freeing Alluni, even though he will remain under house arrest. But we are reassured that he is not accused of anything and will soon be acquitted". 

Shuli said the committee's next move will be to cooperate with international and UN organisations in mounting a campaign to point out the flaws in Spanish anti-terrorism legislation.

Suffering from ill health

Released after two months for health reasons, he was re-arrested in December 2004. Alluni is suffering from several health problems, including heart ailments and a chronic back condition. 

His wife, Fatima al-Zahra, told Aljazeera that her husband was arrested under the pretext of misusing his position as a journalist to carry out an interview with Usama bin Ladin, during which the latter called for jihad. His colleagues suggest his successes may have counted against him.

His incarceration has sparked outrage among Arab human rights groups, journalists and colleagues, who describe this controversial prosecution of this very modern Arab icon as nothing more than an attack on the freedom of the press.