— Court rejects last-ditch bid —
Just hours before a police convoy took them from the Long Lartin jail in west central England to Mildenhall, the High Court rejected the men’s last-ditch legal bid to block their deportation.
“The applications by all five claimants must be dismissed. It follows that their extradition to the United States of America may proceed immediately,” said judge John Thomas.
Abu Hamza, the 54-year-old Egyptian-born former imam who has a hook for his right hand, failed to convince the judges that his extradition should be blocked in order for medical tests to be carried out for his depression.
The judges said they were “wholly unpersuaded” he was unfit to face trial, and added that “the sooner he is put on trial the better” and dismissed arguments that the US jail they are heading to would breach their human rights.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in September that all five men could be extradited, but the High Court ordered the government to halt their removal while it heard their final appeals.
The US embassy in London said it was “pleased with the decision”.
Abu Hamza rose to prominence in the 1990s when he gave fiery sermons at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, but has been in prison in Britain for eight years after being convicted of inciting hatred.
Babar Ahmad, 38, has been in prison without trial since 2004 and Ahsan, 32, since 2006. Fawwaz, a 50-year-old Saudi, and Bary, a 52-year-old Egyptian national, have both been behind bars since 1999.
About The Author
