Hamza can be extradited to US, court rules

Radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza can be extradited to the US on terror charges, a court ruled today.

Senior District Judge Timothy Workman, sitting at London's City of Westminster Magistrates Court, ruled that Hamza, 48, had lost his legal arguments against his long-running extradition battle.

The judge sent the matter to the Home Secretary to make a final decision.

He said: "The defendant is currently serving a sentence of imprisonment in the United Kingdom, but subject to any representations from counsel I propose to send the matter to the Secretary of State for his decision on whether the defendant should be extradited to America."

Alun Jones QC, defending, immediately announced that he would be making submissions to the Home Office and he would also be writing to the Attorney General urging that the case be prosecuted in the UK.

Hamza was jailed in the UK for seven years in February last year, for soliciting murder and inciting racial hatred.

If handed to the US authorities he faces charges including providing support to al Qaida and involvement in a hostage-taking conspiracy in Yemen.

The US government alleges he was involved in a global conspiracy to wage jihad against the US and other western countries.

He is accused of involvement in the kidnapping of western tourists in the Yemen and helping to set up a terrorist training camp in America and helping to fund the trip of a would-be jihadist to a terrorist training camp in the Middle East.

After the ruling Mr Jones told the court: "We shall be making submissions to the Home Office.

"We shall also simultaneously be writing to the Attorney General to prosecute the most serious offences here in the UK on the basis that three UK citizens were killed and no US citizens were killed."

He said they would also be asking British officials to consider Mr Workman's criticism of the possible prison conditions that Hamza could face while in jail in the US and also that he would see little of his family if extradited.

Mr Workman ruled that Hamza should remain in custody pending the Secretary of State's decision.