Abu Qatada Due for Release under Strict Bail Conditions

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada is to be returned to the streets of Britain under some of the most draconian bail conditions ever imposed.

The extremist preacher will be banned from holding lengthy conversations with anyone beyond his immediate family and will not be allowed to leave his home for 22 hours a day. He is prohibited from using a mobile phone, computer or the internet.

Officials hope that the measures will prove temporary as a Home Office minister prepares to fly to Jordan, where Qatada has been convicted in his absence of terrorism-related offences.

The UK has been blocked from deporting the 51-year-old Islamist cleric, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled he might not receive a fair trial in Jordan.

The courts have described Qatada as a “dangerous risk”. He is specifically not allowed any contact with 27 people, including al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Under the bail conditions, if he meets an acquaintance in a chance encounter, he "must, after any initial greeting, disengage himself from the situation”.

Another condition stops the extremist from leading prayers, giving lectures or preaching, other than to offer advice to his wife and children at his home.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, is under mounting pressure to find a way of deporting Qatada, even if it means defying the European Court. » | Monday, February 13, 2012

BBC Tells Its Staff: Don’t Call Qatada Extremist
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The BBC has told its journalists not to call Abu Qatada, the al-Qaeda preacher, an “extremist”.

In order to avoid making a “value judgment”, the corporation’s managers have ruled that he can only be described as “radical”.

Journalists were also cautioned against using images suggesting the preacher is overweight.

A judge ruled this week that the Muslim preacher, once described as “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe”, should be released from a British jail, angering ministers and MPs.

Adding to the row, Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, yesterday insisted that Qatada “has not committed any crime” and said his release has nothing to do with the European Court of Human Rights.

A British court has called Qatada a “truly dangerous individual” and even his defence team has suggested he poses a “grave risk” to national security.

Despite that background, BBC journalists were told they should not describe Qatada as an extremist. The guidance was issued at the BBC newsroom’s 9.00am editorial meeting yesterday, chaired by a senior manager, Andrew Roy.

According to notes of the meeting, seen by The Daily Telegraph, journalists were told: “Do not call him an extremist – we must call him a radical. Extremist implies a value judgment.” » | Neil Midgley and James Kirkup | Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Abu Qatada 'Should Be Released'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric accused of posing a grave threat to Britain's national security, should be released regardless of the risk he poses, his lawyers said today.

Qatada, who is being held in high security conditions, wants to be released on bail as he fights deportation to Jordan.

But lawyers for Home Secretary Theresa May are battling to keep him behind bars while British diplomats continue to seek assurances from the Jordanian authorities that evidence gained through torture would not be used against him.

Ed Fitzgerald QC, representing Qatada, told an immigration judge in central London that Qatada had now been held for six-and-a-half years while fighting deportation.

He told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) that that was "against a background of almost nine years detention without charges on the grounds of national security".

Mr Fitzgerald said: "The detention has now gone on for too long to be reasonable or lawful and there is no prospect of the detention ending in any reasonable period.

"However the risk of absconding, however the risk of further offending, there comes a point when it's just too long.

"There comes a time when it's just too long, however grave the risks."
Mr Fitzgerald added that the eight-and-a-half years Qatada spent in custody was equivalent to a 17-year jail sentence.

The bail hearing was ordered after Qatada, once described by a Spanish judge as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", won an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) last month. » | Monday, February 06, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada to be released within days: Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric accused of posing a grave threat to Britain's national security, will be back on the streets within days after judges granted him bail. » | Tom Whitehead, Security Editor | Monday, February 06, 2012

Hate Cleric Abu Qatada May Be Released
DAILY EXPRESS: A HATE preacher once described as Osama Bin Laden’s “right hand man in Europe” could be freed from a UK jail in just two weeks.

Abu Qatada is fighting deportation to Jordan on terror charges from Long Lartin Prison in Worcester. He could be freed after a bail hearing set for February 6. » | Daily Express Reporter | Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Interview: Abu Qatada Case
The European Court of Human Rights has blocked the extradition of Jordanian national Abu Qatada, who is alleged to have been Osama bin Laden's right-hand-man in Europe.

The court also said it would be willing to consider diplomatic assurances from Jordanian authorities that Abu Qatada would not be tortured.

But Amnesty International says that is a position it finds disappointing.

Alice Wyss, a researcher at the UK-based rights organisation, discussed the Abu Qatada case with Al Jazeera's Felicity Barr.


Related »

Britain Cannot Deport Abu Qatada to Jordan, European Judges Rule
THE GUARDIAN: Cleric cannot be sent back to Jordan as 'there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him'

The radical cleric Abu Qatada cannot be sent back to Jordan while "there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him", judges have ruled.

The European court of human rights [sic] (ECHR) ruled there would be a breach of his right to a fair trial "given the real risk of the admission of evidence obtained by torture at his retrial".

It is the first time that the Strasbourg-based court has found that an expulsion would be in violation of European convention on human rights article six, the right to a fair trial.

The cleric, also known as Omar Othman, featured in sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 9/11 bombers.

Law lords ruled almost three years ago that Qatada, described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe", could be sent back to Jordan, but he appealed to the court in Strasbourg, claiming he would be tortured if sent home.

But in a landmark judgment in February 2009, five law lords unanimously backed the government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments.

The ECHR has now said in this case such a move would breach Qatada's right to a fair trial. » | Press Association | Tuesday, January 17, 2012

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada cannot be deported to Jordan, European judges rule: Abu Qatada, once described as “Osama bin Laden’s right hand man in Europe”, cannot be extradited to Jordan, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. » | Duncan Gardham, Security Correspondent | Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hate Cleric, Abu Qatada, Issues Rallying Cry from Prison
Abu Qatada is considered to be the most dangerous jihadi and ideologue to have operated from Britain. He has smuggled a letter out of prison which has inflamed radicals around the world. Photo courtesy of TimesOnline
TIMESONLINE: The extremist cleric Abu Qatada has issued a 6,000-word rallying cry to his followers from inside one of Britain’s most secure prison units.

The Palestinian preacher hails the “victory” of the Mujahidin and claims that his treatment has helped to radicalise a new generation of young British Muslims.

Despite demanding his freedom, he says that “the gift of prison” has helped him to lose more than 50lb (22kg) in weight. He even suggests that a vigorous exercise programme appears to have cured his diabetes and back trouble.

The cleric boasts of being told by Bilal Abdullah, the NHS doctor jailed for the car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow in 2007, that he was heavily influenced by the cleric’s taped sermons. He describes the bomber, who narrowly failed in his attempts to blow up a nightclub and airport terminal, as “truthfully a man from the men of Islam, in knowledge, action, steadfastness and manhood”.

His communiqué was smuggled out of Long Lartin high-security jail, Worcestershire, and is circulating on jihadi websites and forums, where it is attracting widespread comment. The ease with which it has been distributed is an embarrassment for Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, who is in charge of prisons, and Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, who leads the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy. >>> Sean O’Neill, Crime and Security Editor and Richard Ford, Home Correspondent | Saturday, April 4, 2009

Radical Preacher Abu Qatada Will 'Stay in Country' Despite Deportation Order
Radical cleric Abu Qatada will stay in Britian for months despite a House of Lords ruling that he should be deported to Jordan where he faces terror charges.

Photo of Abu Qatada courtesy of The Telegraph
THE TELEGRAPH: The Law Lords said Qatada, dubbed "Osama Bin Laden's right hand man in Europe", could be sent back to Jordan where he faces terror charges after overturning a Court of Appeal decision.

But the extremist could still remain in the country for many months if he takes his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

The judgment is a victory for the Home Office in its long-running campaign to remove Qatada from Britain, which has cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds already.

The Law Lords also ruled in favour of the Government over its attempts to deport two other men to Algeria.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said a deportation order will be served on Qatada immediately.

However any attempts to remove him would be put on hold if the case goes to Europe. >>> By Tom Whitehead, Home Affairs Editor | Wednesday, February 18, 2009

THE INDEPENDENT: Abu Qatada Awarded £2,500 for Detention

Radical preacher Abu Qatada was awarded £2,500 cash compensation today by European judges who ruled that his detention without trial breached his human rights.

Yesterday Qatada lost the latest round of his UK legal battle to stay in Britain.
But 24 hours later he won a separate case in the European Court of Human Rights that his detention under anti-terror laws introduced by the Government after the 2001 attacks on America violated the Human Rights Convention. >>> By Geoff Meade, Press Association | Thursday, February 19, 2009

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Radical Preacher Sent Back to Prison as Judges Rule on Secret Evidence
THE GUARDIAN: Islamist Qatada deemed to be at risk of absconding / Bail revoked pending decision on deportation

Radical Islamist cleric Abu Qatada yesterday had his bail revoked and was returned to indefinite detention in a maximum security prison pending the outcome of a legal battle over his deportation to Jordan.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac), in effect Britain's national security court, ruled that evidence from the security services, heard in secret, had convinced them there was now an increased risk of Qatada absconding.

Qatada, described by a Spanish judge as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, was released on bail in June to live with his family in west London under a 22-hour curfew after the court of appeal ruled it was unsafe to return him to Jordan.

The preacher has spent three and half years in maximum security jails since he was first declared a risk to national security in January 2001 on the grounds that he encouraged other extremists to commit acts of terrorism by providing religious sanction for them.

The immigration judges said their decision to revoke his bail was based on the evidence they had heard in secret: "The secretary of state relies on information contained in the closed case to justify the revocation of bail." This remains confidential and is only spelled out in a separate "closed" unpublished judgment.

The "open" version published yesterday said none of the reasons put forward by the Home Office in the public sessions of the commission's two-day hearing would justify the revocation of his bail. These included the seizure at his home of memory cards, MP3 players, computer discs and videotapes. >>> Alan Travis, Home Affairs Editor | December 3, 2008

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Radical Preacher Abu Qatada 'Arrested'
THE GUARDIAN: Supporters claim 'Bin Laden's right-hand man' held / Preacher faces judge over breach of bail conditions

Abu Qatada, once described by a Spanish judge as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, has been arrested in Britain, supporters said.

The Palestinian-Jordanian preacher was arrested for breaching his strict bail conditions after the authorities received a tip-off that he was planning to flee the country, according to the Sun.

The website of the London-based Islamic Observatory Centre said: "British police on Saturday morning detained brother Omar Mahmud Abu Omar (Abu Qatada)."

Qatada, who was convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement with terror attacks in 1998 and of a millennium bomb plot, was released on bail in June from a maximum security prison in Worcestershire. Judges ruled he would not get a fair trial in Amman.

The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases but it is believed that Qatada will appear before a special immigration judge tomorrow. >>> Haroon Siddique | November 10, 2008

THE TELEGRAPH: Why Are We Stopping Abu Qatada Leaving the UK?

News that Abu Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden’s 'right-hand man in Europe', has been arrested for trying to leave the country is utterly baffling.

Qatada was locked up without trial in 2001 precisely because we were not allowed to throw him out of the country.

Article three of the European Convention on Human Rights prevented Britain deporting him.

After he had been in prison for several years, the courts then ruled that he could not be held indefinitely without trial, since that is obviously a breach of his rights, too. So he was released from jail and has been living under curfew in London.

The cost of the litigation and Qatada’s incarceration has been astronomical. In addition, the taxpayer has picked up the bill for benefits to look after him and his family.

If Qatada was planning to leave the country – apparently bound for Lebanon - it must call into question all the arguments made by his lawyers to block his deportation and the decisions of the courts to thwart it. COMMENT HERE >>> | November 10, 2008

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Britain Soft on Radical Islam Yet Again: Radical Preacher, Abu Qatada, Is Released from Prison
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THE TELEGRAPH: Abu Qatada, the radical Islamic cleric described as Osama bin Laden’s “right-hand man in Europe”, has been released from jail after a judge ruled that there were no grounds to keep him in prison.

The decision to allow him to return to his home in London – where he will receive around £1,000 per month in state benefits – made a mockery of the government’s promise to crack down on terror suspects, and embarrassed the Home Office, which had pledged to deport Qatada to Jordan to face terror charges.

The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, said she was “extremely disappointed” at the court’s decision to bail Qatada, while the Conservatives branded the decision “offensive”.

Mr Justice Mitting signed an order to release Qatada on bail, with strict conditions, following an earlier Court of Appeal decision to refuse his deportation on the grounds that it would breach human rights law. Abu Qatada: Islamic Cleric Is Released from Jail >>> By Duncan Gardham and Gordon Rayner | June 18, 2008

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Radical Muslim Preacher Heaps More Embarrassment on Government
SUNDAY EXPRESS: FIREBRAND preacher Abu Qatada is set to heap more embarrassment on the Government with a compensation claim for £500,000 for wrongful imprisonment.

Qatada, 48, once described as Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe, was granted bail by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last week after defeating the Government’s attempts to deport him to Jordan.



The radical cleric, who once called on British Muslims to martyr themselves, was convicted in his absence of involvement in two bombings of hotels in Amman in 1998. Tapes of his sermons were also found in a flat in Germany used by some of the 9/11 hijackers. 



The Bethlehem-born Muslim was jailed six years ago under anti-terror laws rushed in after the twin towers attacks in 2001. He was released in 2004 but arrested again in 2005. 



Last month the Appeal Court ruled that he could not be deported on human rights grounds as some of the evidence against him was allegedly obtained through torture and there was no guarantee he would not be tortured in Jordan. 
Preacher in £500,000 Bid >>> By Brendan Abbot | May 11, 2008

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