Hamza bid to avoid extradition

Radical cleric Abu Hamza has launched a last-minute High Court challenge to try and avoid extradition to the United States.

Latest ITV News reports

Hamza could appeal court's decision

The European Court of Human Rights' judges emphasised that today's ruling would only be final after three months - if there is no appeal - and the UK government cannot extradite the five men until that time.

The court decided to continue its indication to the United Kingdom Government that the applicants should not be extradited until this judgment became final or until the case was referred to the Grand Chamber (of the Human Rights court).

Babar Ahmad's father: 'British justice subcontracted to US'

Babar is a British citizen accused of a crime said to have been committed in the UK and all the evidence against him was gathered in this country.

Nevertheless, British justice appears to have been subcontracted to the US.

This should be immediately rectified by putting Babar on trial in the UK and ordering a full public inquiry into the matter."

– Ashfaq Ahmad, father of Babar

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Unanimous decision to extradite Hamza

The decision to allow the extradition of five British nationals to America was a unanimous one from the European Court of Human Rights.

They said there would be no violation of Article 3 of the Human Rights Code - the "prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment" - as a result of detention conditions the five men might face at ADX Florence "supermax" prison in the US.

The length of their possible sentences would not breach their human rights under European law either.

Theresa May 'welcomes' Hamza extradition decision

The Home Secretary Theresa May has said the government "will work to ensure that the suspects are handed over to the US authorities as quickly as possible".

I welcome the decision of the European Court of Human Rights to allow the extradition of Abu Hamza and other terror suspects.

In five of the six cases, the court found that extradition would not breach their human rights and, in the remaining case, it asked for further information before taking a final decision.

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Former Lib Dem leader: Decision helps 'restore reputation of the court'

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell gave a cautious welcome to the European Court of Human Rights' decision to allow the extradition of five British nationals to the US.

This decision will do a great deal to restore the reputation of the court but we must be cautious in drawing unjustified conclusions.

The detail and reasoning of the judgment has to be carefully examined but perhaps now we can have a rational debate about the role and significance of the European Convention and its fundamental importance to a democratic society like our own."

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