UK NEWS: Radical cleric fighting extradition

5:42am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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The radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza has launched a High Court battle against extradition to the US to face terror charges.

He is wanted in the US for allegedly trying to set up an al Qaida training camp in Oregon.

But his lawyers are arguing at London's High Court that extradition should be blocked because evidence gained by torture was being used against him.

They also contend that it would be "unjust and oppressive" to extradite because of the passage of time and it would be incompatible with his human rights.

The case before Sir Igor Judge and Mr Justice Sullivan is expected to last four days.

Abu Hamza al-Masri faces a total of 11 charges, including sending money and recruits to assist the Taliban and al Qaida. He is taking part in the legal challenge via a video link from Belmarsh top security prison in south-east London.

London's City of Westminster Magistrates Court ruled that he could be extradited, and in February this year Home Secretary Jacqui Smith gave the final approval.

Egyptian-born Hamza, 49, from west London, who is fitted with hooks on both partially-amputated arms, is currently serving a seven-year jail term for inciting followers to murder non-believers.

The July 7 London bombers were inspired by his sermons and the would-be bombers of July 21 were regular worshippers at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London where he was formerly the imam. In 2003 he was dismissed from his position after making speeches supporting al Qaida and speaking out against the invasion of Iraq.

Listed at the High Court in London under his real name, Mostafa Kamel Mostafa, he was the first person to be arrested under the streamlined Anglo-American extradition treaty when police raided his home in May 2004.