A Palestinian doctor, charged in connection with an MI5 sting against alleged members of the New IRA has been refused bail for a second time.
Issam Bassalat (62) was remanded in custody in August on a charge of attending an alleged meeting of the dissident republican organisation.
With an address at Telford Road in Edinburgh, he is among 10 people facing prosecution following a surveillance-led offensive targetting the group's activities.
The operation involved MI5 bugging two suspected meetings at properties in Co Tyrone earlier this year.
This was the second bail application by the doctor and was based on what his solicitor said was a change of circumstances due to his deteriorating health while being held in Maghaberry prison.
The prosecution objected to the bail application on grounds of risk of reoffending and claimed the doctor, who lives in Edinburgh, was a flight risk.
The court was also told Dr Bassalat has refused to hand over his phone pin code to the police.
They also said as the proposed bail address was in Scotland, the PSNI would "have no control" once he left the jurisdiction.
However, Peter Corrigan of Phoenix Law, representing Dr Bassalat, told Dungannon court: "He is not a man who has in 63-years committed any offences. He is a man who has taken the Hippocratic oath, he is a man who has worked for NHS for nine years, he is a man with young children."
Mr Corrigan added: "He is an evangelist for the Palestinian cause and he has travelled to do so and he has the right to travel.
"These charges are an affront to free speech.”
District Judge Mr Michael Ranaghan refused bail.
