Radical cleric Abu Qatada wins extradition appeal


The European Court of Human Rights Tuesday blocked Britain from extraditing an alleged top aide of Osama bin Laden to Jordan, saying evidence against him may have been obtained through torture.

Abu Qatada, 51, a radical Britain-based Muslim cleric who has fought a six-year battle to remain in the country, faced a "flagrant denial of justice" if he was returned to Jordan, the court said in its ruling.

The Strasbourg-based court said there was a "real risk of the admission of evidence at the applicant?s retrial obtained by

torture of third persons".

British Home Secretary Theresa May said she was "disappointed" with the European court's decision but added that Qatada would remain in prison while "all the legal options" are considered.

Abu Qatada, a Jordanian of Palestinian origin who is also known as Omar Mohammed Othman, was once labelled the late Al-Qaeda leader's right-hand man in Europe by a Spanish judge.

He is included on a UN list of people associated with the presumed perpetrators of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

The cleric has been convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement in two attacks and Amman has repeatedly urged London to extradite him.

The court said however that it "finds that there is a real risk that the applicant?s retrial would amount to a flagrant denial of justice" -- a violation of Article 6 of the Convention on Human Rights.http://uk.news.yahoo.com/bin-laden-aide-abu-qatada-wins-extradition-appeal-100659941.html