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Qatada poses 'threat' for prisons | Qatada poses 'threat' for prisons |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A radical Muslim cleric fighting extradition from the UK could be secretly influencing other inmates, the Prison Officers Association has warned. | A radical Muslim cleric fighting extradition from the UK could be secretly influencing other inmates, the Prison Officers Association has warned. |
Abu Qatada, who once preached at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, is being held at a specialist unit at Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire. | Abu Qatada, who once preached at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London, is being held at a specialist unit at Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire. |
Abu Qatada, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, is sometimes allowed to read prayers. | |
But the union said there was no way of knowing exactly what was being said. | But the union said there was no way of knowing exactly what was being said. |
The Jordanian national is fighting extradition to his home country where he has been convicted for terror attacks. | The Jordanian national is fighting extradition to his home country where he has been convicted for terror attacks. |
New controls | New controls |
Steve Gough, vice-chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said: "The type of people that we're now putting into prison, who have the ability to radicalise and have got a proven track record to radicalise, need a new type of control that we're not ready for and the Government doesn't appear to have put any thought into. | Steve Gough, vice-chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said: "The type of people that we're now putting into prison, who have the ability to radicalise and have got a proven track record to radicalise, need a new type of control that we're not ready for and the Government doesn't appear to have put any thought into. |
"It is the case that Abu Qatada, and there maybe others, I don't really know, are using prayer in a context that we don't understand. | "It is the case that Abu Qatada, and there maybe others, I don't really know, are using prayer in a context that we don't understand. |
"The reality is that most of the staff don't know what he's doing." | "The reality is that most of the staff don't know what he's doing." |
A Prison Service spokeswoman said inmates at Long Lartin did pray as a group but were only allowed to read prayers on "rare" occasions. | A Prison Service spokeswoman said inmates at Long Lartin did pray as a group but were only allowed to read prayers on "rare" occasions. |
"The small number of detainees in the specialist unit at Long Lartin prison pray as a group three times a day and individually in their cells twice a day," she said. | "The small number of detainees in the specialist unit at Long Lartin prison pray as a group three times a day and individually in their cells twice a day," she said. |
"The communal prayers are led by the prison's Imam who visits the unit on a daily basis. | "The communal prayers are led by the prison's Imam who visits the unit on a daily basis. |
"On the rare occasions when an Imam is unable to attend then a prisoner is chosen to read out the prayer of the day." | "On the rare occasions when an Imam is unable to attend then a prisoner is chosen to read out the prayer of the day." |
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