Abu Qatada arrested for bail breach
Abu Qatada is arrested for breaching his bail terms days before the latest government effort to have the radical Muslim preacher extradited.
A spokesman for the Home Office confirmed on Saturday that the “UK Border Agency arrested a 52-year-old man from north London for alleged breaches of his bail conditions imposed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission. (Siac)”
Following a telephone hearing on Saturday, Qatada was detained in custody. In his ruling, Mr Justice Irwin said there was “strong prima facie evidence” that Qatada had breached a bail condition which prohibits him from having mobile telephones switched on in his house while he is present.
It also bans communications equipment such as digital media devices, re-writable CDs and pen drives being brought into his house.
Qatada, who was once described by a Spanish court as “the spiritual leader of the mujahadeen in Europe”, has been fighting deportation to Jordan where he faces terrorism charges. Qatada argues that any trial in Jordan would use evidence obtained by torture.
He has been released from detention four times in the past seven years as his legal battle continues.
Legal battle
On Monday the government will go to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to overturn a Siac decision, from November 2012, which allowed Qatada to stay in the UK.
When releasing Qatada, Siac imposed a number of heavy bail conditions on the preacher, including a 16-hour curfew.
Read more: Who is Abu Qatada?
The November decision was a setback for Home Secretary Theresa May, who has been fighting to have Qatada removed from the country. She argues that the government has obtained assurances from Jordan that evidence obtained through torture will not be used against Qatada.
Britain says videos of his sermons influenced Mohammed Atta, ringleader of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.
Arrested
The arrest took place on Friday, the Home Office spokesman said, and Siac would consider the alleged breach at the earliest opportunity.
The Sun newspaper, which first reported the arrest, said that police offices had searched Qatada’s home for 12 hours.
London police declined to confirm the report of the search, saying only that officers had searched three residential addresses and one business address in the capital on Thursday “in connection with ongoing inquiries by the counter-terrorism command”.