Qatada released from prison - News in brief - Evening Standard
       

Qatada released from prison

Firebrand preacher Abu Qatada - once described as "Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe" - has been released from prison.

Qatada, 47, left Long Lartin prison in Worcestershire after he won his fight against deportation from Britain.

The Islamic cleric's release follows a court ruling in April banning ministers from extraditing him to Jordan.

He has been convicted in his absence in the Middle East of involvement with terror attacks in 1998, and of plotting to plant bombs on the Millennium.

Ministers pledged to appeal against the ruling, with Home Secretary Jacqui Smith saying: "I am extremely disappointed that the courts have granted Abu Qatada bail, albeit with very strict conditions.

"I am appealing to the House of Lords to reverse the decision that it is not safe to deport Qatada and the other Jordanian cases."

Qatada will be subject to a 22-hour curfew and forced to wear an electronic tag, according to papers released by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

The eight-page bail order specifies that Qatada will be barred from associating with certain people, including Osama bin Laden and hate preacher Abu Hamza.

The list of Qatada's banned associates also includes bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and Rachid Ramda, who has been convicted in France of masterminding a series of bombings in 1995.

Unusually, the document bans Qatada from attending "any mosque", as well as leading prayers, giving lectures or "providing religious instruction" to anyone except his wife and children.

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