Mohamed Harkat must still wear an ankle bracelet carrying a GPS monitor and report in weekly once the new bail conditions are signed. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)A Federal Court judge on Monday has loosened the restrictions on the house arrest of Mohamed Harkat, one of Canada's most prominent security detainees.

A former pizza delivery man and gas station attendant, Harkat was arrested in 2002 and released on bail in 2006 after being held without trial under a national security certificate. Since then he has been under house arrest in Ottawa.

Canada's spy agency, CSIS, accuses him of being a sleeper agent for al-Qaeda.

The new federal risk assessment found that the Algerian-born Harkat was less dangerous as a result of his high public profile.

Justice Simon Noel on Monday reduced the number of bail conditions for Harkat, saying there was no longer any need for CSIS to monitor his phone or mail, or for Harkat to observe a curfew, have his visitors approved in advance or endure video cameras inside and outside his Ottawa house.

Harkat must still wear an ankle bracelet carrying a GPS monitor and report in weekly once the new conditions are signed. He can travel unsupervised only in the Ottawa area and his passport remains in trust with federal agents.

The case against Harkat, who has repeatedly denied any involvement with terrorism, has suffered serious reversals in recent months.

Noel ruled in June that a May 12 raid of Harkat's home violated his charter rights, and he ordered the Canada Border Services Agency to return everything it had seized.

Sixteen border services and police officers, accompanied by three sniffer dogs, had spent six hours searching Harkat's house from top to bottom in the surprise raid they said was permitted under the terms of his bail.

They carted away legal papers, family photo albums, a personal computer, hundreds of disks and daytimers belonging to Harkat's wife Sophie. Harkat's lawyers called the raid an illegal and abusive fishing expedition.

Of the five Muslim men now living under security certificates, four are under house arrest. One of them, Adil Charkaoui of Montreal, also won freedom of movement after agreeing to put up $50,000 bail and remain under electronic surveillance.

Harkat's bail conditions had been among the strictest ever imposed by a Canadian court.