Abu Qatada on his release from jail in
February. The radical Islamist cleric has been arrested and told he is
to face fresh deportation proceedings. Photograph: Darren
Staples/Reuters
The radical Islamist preacher Abu Qatada has been arrested at his London address and told that a fresh attempt is to be made to deport him.
He is expected to appear before Britain's anti-terrorism court, the special immigration appeals commission, in London on Tuesday afternoon to face new deportation proceedings and Home Office demands that he be returned to Long Lartin maximum security prison in the meantime.
UK Border Agency officers arrived on Tuesday morning at the north London home where Qatada has been living under highly restrictive bail conditions, including a 22-hour curfew. The move came just hours before the home secretary, Theresa May, was due to report to MPs on progress in securing a "no torture evidence" deal with the Jordanian authorities to enable him to be sent back there. May was also set to confirm that she would not appeal against the European court of human rights ruling that blocked Qatada's deportation.
A Home Office spokesman said: "UK Border Agency officers have today arrested Abu Qatada and told him that we intend to resume deportation proceedings against him. The home secretary will make a statement to parliament later."
The expiry of the three-month deadline for the Home Office to lodge an appeal with Strasbourg means the legal block on a new deportation attempt has been lifted. Qatada is expected to fight the move in the courts – a battle that could last months.
May is trying to secure assurances from the Jordanians that Qatada will not face a trial on his return based on evidence obtained by torture, but has yet to reach a final agreement.
The case has proved an embarrassment to the home secretary and fuelled government efforts to reform the Strasbourg court. Ken Clarke, the justice secretary, will chair a Council of Europe conference in Brighton this week.
The decision not to appeal is believed to be based on the fact that the ruling upheld the general right of the British government to try to deport international terror suspects with diplomatic assurances about their future treatment. Home Office officials feared that this important principle could be lost if an appeal to the Strasbourg court's grand chamber was defeated. Several other deportation cases could have been put at risk if an appeal failed.
May has been keen to stress the "positive progress" made since she visited Jordan last month seeking assurances that torture-tainted evidence would not be used in Qatada's case. British officials visited Jordan again two weeks ago and discussions were said to be down to the "nitty gritty legal detail". The difficulty remains that although Jordan says it has banned the use of torture, the Strasbourg judges ruled that its use remains widespread and routine.
Qatada has spent more than six and a half years in detention in maximum-security prison or under 22-hour curfew in Britain since he was declared a threat to national security as a terror suspect.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper – speaking before Qatada's arrest – said it was time May got a grip of the case. She said: "The home secretary and the British courts have made clear that Abu Qatada is a serious threat to national security. Yet he continues to be allowed on Britain's streets … There has been too much drift and delay in the way the Home Office has handled this case since January. The home secretary needs to explain urgently to parliament what she is doing to get Abu Qatada deported, and to make sure there are strong enough safeguards to protect public safety in the meantime."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
He is expected to appear before Britain's anti-terrorism court, the special immigration appeals commission, in London on Tuesday afternoon to face new deportation proceedings and Home Office demands that he be returned to Long Lartin maximum security prison in the meantime.
UK Border Agency officers arrived on Tuesday morning at the north London home where Qatada has been living under highly restrictive bail conditions, including a 22-hour curfew. The move came just hours before the home secretary, Theresa May, was due to report to MPs on progress in securing a "no torture evidence" deal with the Jordanian authorities to enable him to be sent back there. May was also set to confirm that she would not appeal against the European court of human rights ruling that blocked Qatada's deportation.
A Home Office spokesman said: "UK Border Agency officers have today arrested Abu Qatada and told him that we intend to resume deportation proceedings against him. The home secretary will make a statement to parliament later."
The expiry of the three-month deadline for the Home Office to lodge an appeal with Strasbourg means the legal block on a new deportation attempt has been lifted. Qatada is expected to fight the move in the courts – a battle that could last months.
May is trying to secure assurances from the Jordanians that Qatada will not face a trial on his return based on evidence obtained by torture, but has yet to reach a final agreement.
The case has proved an embarrassment to the home secretary and fuelled government efforts to reform the Strasbourg court. Ken Clarke, the justice secretary, will chair a Council of Europe conference in Brighton this week.
The decision not to appeal is believed to be based on the fact that the ruling upheld the general right of the British government to try to deport international terror suspects with diplomatic assurances about their future treatment. Home Office officials feared that this important principle could be lost if an appeal to the Strasbourg court's grand chamber was defeated. Several other deportation cases could have been put at risk if an appeal failed.
May has been keen to stress the "positive progress" made since she visited Jordan last month seeking assurances that torture-tainted evidence would not be used in Qatada's case. British officials visited Jordan again two weeks ago and discussions were said to be down to the "nitty gritty legal detail". The difficulty remains that although Jordan says it has banned the use of torture, the Strasbourg judges ruled that its use remains widespread and routine.
Qatada has spent more than six and a half years in detention in maximum-security prison or under 22-hour curfew in Britain since he was declared a threat to national security as a terror suspect.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper – speaking before Qatada's arrest – said it was time May got a grip of the case. She said: "The home secretary and the British courts have made clear that Abu Qatada is a serious threat to national security. Yet he continues to be allowed on Britain's streets … There has been too much drift and delay in the way the Home Office has handled this case since January. The home secretary needs to explain urgently to parliament what she is doing to get Abu Qatada deported, and to make sure there are strong enough safeguards to protect public safety in the meantime."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
