The Hindu : International : Hamza faces extradition

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Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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International

Hamza faces extradition

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Abu Hamza al-Masri, one of Britain’s most controversially radical Muslim clerics, currently serving a seven-year jail term for inciting racial hatred and murder, on Thursday suffered a setback in his legal battle against being extradited to America to face terror charges.

A court ruled that the 47-year-old Egyptian-born preacher of hate could be extradited to America subject to ratification by the Home Secretary. Under the current law, he cannot be extradited until he has served his full jail term.

Hamza, who was convicted in February last year but has been in jail since 2004, could be eligible for parole next year. And it is only then that he is likely to be surrendered to American authorities, if the British government ratifies the court verdict.

Hamza, who lost one eye and both his hands while fighting along with the mujahideen in Afghanistan, became a controversial figure after he seized the control of Finsbury Park mosque in north London and turned it into a hotbed of extremist activity.

Moderate Muslims, who had established the mosque, launched a campaign against him.

Meanwhile, the government, alarmed by his incendiary jihadi rhetoric, raided the mosque and he was evicted.

After his arrest in 2004 on an extradition warrant issued by the U.S. government, a large cache of hate material including audio cassettes and videos of his inflammatory speeches were seized from his house.

A “terror manual”, which allegedly listed several high-profile buildings in Britain, Europe and America as potential terror targets, was also seized.

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