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Moroccan woman in deportation battle is Abu Hamza's daughter-in-law, Tory MP reveals

Philip Davies uses Parliamentary privilege to reveal woman's identity and her relationship to the controversial preacher

Tom Peck
Saturday 06 February 2016 00:40 GMT
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A Moroccan woman with a criminal record whose fight against deportation has been boosted by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) advocate general is the daughter-in-law of the radical cleric, a Tory MP has said.
A Moroccan woman with a criminal record whose fight against deportation has been boosted by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) advocate general is the daughter-in-law of the radical cleric, a Tory MP has said. (PA)

A Moroccan woman with a criminal conviction whom the European Court of Justice has said should not be deported from Britain is the daughter-in-law of radical Muslim preacher Abu Hamza.

The Moroccan national’s identity, and her relationship to the controversial preacher, known for his metal-hooked artificial hand, is subject to a court order preventing publication, but the Conservative MP Philip Davies used Parliamentary privilege to reveal it in the House of Commons on Friday.

“This is a very serious matter and is something that this country and this House should be aware of,” Mr Davies said.

Hamza was jailed for life by a US court for support terrorism last year after a protracted battle to avoid deportation from the UK.

The woman has a British son and, in a preliminary judgement, the European Court of Justice ruled that EU law means the UK can only deport her if she poses a “serious” threat.

The woman married a Briton in 2002 and was given indefinite leave to remain in the UK in 2005, but the couple separated, leaving her with sole care of her son, born in 2011.

She served a prison sentence after being caught attempting to smuggle a Sim card into prison during a visit. While serving her sentence, she was told she faced deportation.

Mr Davies asked: “Have you had any indication that the Home Office intend to make any kind of statement about this issue?”

Replying to Mr Davies’s point of order, Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle said: “I don’t think I’m going to shock you by saying I’ve had absolutely no indication of anybody coming forward with a statement.”

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