British court allows cleric’s extradition to U.S.
Radical cleric Abu Hamza al Masri can be extradited to the United States to face trial on charges of supporting terrorism, a British court ruled Thursday.
Al Masri has been charged with trying to establish a terrorist training camp in Oregon, conspiring to take hostages in Yemen and facilitating terrorist training in Afghanistan.
He is serving a seven-year sentence in Britain for fomenting racial hatred and urging followers to kill non-Muslims.
Senior District Judge Timothy Workman, presiding at City of Westminster Magistrates Court, said the case would be referred to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for a final decision.
Smith has two months to decide whether to hand over Al Masri to the U.S. If she decides to do so, he can appeal to Britain’s High Court, the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights.
Al Masri, who lost an eye and both arms below the elbows in the 1980s while fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, was arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant in May 2004, but the process was put on hold while he stood trial and then appealed.
In January, the House of Lords denied Al Masri permission to make further appeals.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
