Abu Qatada Al-filistini, the Jordanian born Palestinian has been in and out of news since the past decade or so. He was brought into the limelight for the first time back in 2002 when the government of England detained him for alleged terrorist links under the anti terrorism law. Born as Omar Mahmood Osman, Qatada has been suspected with links to al-Qaeda since the past ten years though he has never been put to trial.
Regularly imprisoned in the United Kingdom on accounts of threats to national security, Qatada has also been denied leaving and appealing against the deportation on different occasions too. More recently, his name has been brought up in the news again in lieu of his deportation issues and the stance of Home Secretary of the UK.
Back in May 2012, Abu Qatada was bound to be shipped out of the UK when the European Commission of Human Rights refused heeding to his claim against his deportation to Jordan. Though later on, the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) upheld his appeal against the deportation rule; Home Secretary Theresa May insisted that the court of appeals overturns the decision of SIAC.
According to the hearing submitted in London by May’s team, Qatada should not be immediately deported to Jordan where he can be put on trial on counts of terrorism, that he was convicted for back in 1999. The home secretary is firmly against the immigration rule that lets Abu Qatada stay in the United Kingdom on will, as in her words he is a “truly dangerous” criminal who has skipped the law only due to “errors of law” that need to be rectified. May believes that he should be sent to Jordan so that he can be put to trial.
The decision taken by SIAC was based on the belief that if Qatada is deported back to Jordan it will be in denial of his basic human rights. Qatada’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald advocated that he might not get a fair hearing because they had found “real risk” evidences of torture. A stance that was denied by James Eadie, appearing for Theresa May on account that Jordanian constitution “prohibits clearly and expressly the use of torture and the reliance on any statement obtained under duress, including torture”, so it was only fair that he should be sent back and face justice. But Fitzgerald still insists that the radical cleric cannot be sent back to a country with a “dubious human rights record”.
Qatada is now back in custody awaiting the verdict, a hearing for his bail arrangements was also due on Thursday, but it has been delayed probably in anticipation of the other the decision to deportation case. Though the panel of three judges is due to pass their verdict now, it is expected that there will be more appeal regardless of whom the court of appeals decides to stay in favor.
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