UK blocked from extraditing Bin Laden aide to Jordan
UK: The European Court of Human Rights Tuesday blocked Britain from
extraditing an alleged top aide of Osama bin Laden to Jordan, saying
evidence against him may have been obtained through torture.
Abu Qatada, a radical British-based Muslim cleric who has fought a
six-year battle to remain in the country, faced a "flagrant denial of
justice" if he was returned to Jordan, the court said.
The court in Strasbourg said in its judgement that there was a "real
risk of the admission of evidence at the applicant's retrial obtained by
torture of third persons." British interior minister Theresa May said
she was "disappointed" with the European court's decision but Qatada
would remain in prison while "all the legal options" are considered.
Abu Qatada, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who is also known as
Omar Mohammed Othman, was once labelled the late Al-Qaeda leader's
right-hand-man in Europe by a Spanish judge.
The 51-year-old is included on a UN list of people associated with
the presumed perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in
the United States.
He has been convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement in two
terror attacks. Amman has repeatedly urged London to extradite him.
Jordan says Abu Qatada conspired to carry out 1998 bombings in Amman,
Jordan on the American School and the Jerusalem Hotel. He also funded a
terrorist network known as Reform and Challenge (Al-Islah Wal Tahhadi)
which was dismantled in 1999, but received an amnesty for those charges.
The court said however that it "finds that there is a real risk that the
applicant's retrial would amount to a flagrant denial of justice" - a
violation of Article 6 of the Convention on Human Rights. AFP
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