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| Abu Qatada: end is in sight to case that caused years of political embarrassment | Abu Qatada: end is in sight to case that caused years of political embarrassment |
| (4 months later) | |
| The failure of successive home secretaries, and for that matter prime ministers, to put the radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada on a plane back to Jordan has been a source of immense political embarrassment for Britain for more than eight years. | The failure of successive home secretaries, and for that matter prime ministers, to put the radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada on a plane back to Jordan has been a source of immense political embarrassment for Britain for more than eight years. |
| The case has led to Britain being repeatedly censured in the courts, including the European court of human rights, for wanting to send him back to Amman regardless of the risk that he would face trial based on evidence obtained by torture. | The case has led to Britain being repeatedly censured in the courts, including the European court of human rights, for wanting to send him back to Amman regardless of the risk that he would face trial based on evidence obtained by torture. |
| David Cameron was said to be so exasperated by the case last month that he was even ready to consider temporarily withdrawing from the European convention of human rights to get him out of the country. | David Cameron was said to be so exasperated by the case last month that he was even ready to consider temporarily withdrawing from the European convention of human rights to get him out of the country. |
| The problem of what to do with Abu Qatada, who the courts say remains a "truly dangerous man", has been at the centre of the fundamental debate in Britain over human rights and the treatment of terror suspects for more than 20 years. | The problem of what to do with Abu Qatada, who the courts say remains a "truly dangerous man", has been at the centre of the fundamental debate in Britain over human rights and the treatment of terror suspects for more than 20 years. |
| He first became the most wanted man in Britain after going on the run in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 after police found £170,000 in cash in his home in Acton, west London. He was finally caught in October 2002 when he was detained as an international terror suspect under the Belmarsh regime of indefinite detention that was subsequently ruled unlawful. He was then placed on a control order. | He first became the most wanted man in Britain after going on the run in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 after police found £170,000 in cash in his home in Acton, west London. He was finally caught in October 2002 when he was detained as an international terror suspect under the Belmarsh regime of indefinite detention that was subsequently ruled unlawful. He was then placed on a control order. |
| It was Abu Qatada that Tony Blair had firmly in his sights when he famously declared in the aftermath of the 7 July London bombings in 2005 that when it came to dealing with such extremists "the rules of the game have changed". | It was Abu Qatada that Tony Blair had firmly in his sights when he famously declared in the aftermath of the 7 July London bombings in 2005 that when it came to dealing with such extremists "the rules of the game have changed". |
| Blair detailed a new strategy of "deportations with assurances" which involved securing "memorandums of understanding" with up to 10 countries, including Jordan, Algeria and Lebanon. | Blair detailed a new strategy of "deportations with assurances" which involved securing "memorandums of understanding" with up to 10 countries, including Jordan, Algeria and Lebanon. |
| They all had terrible human rights records but Blair hoped the diplomatic assurances that the terror suspects sent back would not be ill-treated or tortured would be enough to convince the British courts in London to allow them to go ahead. Blair knew he was going into a lengthy battle with the courts and warned that he was prepared to amend the Human Rights Act if they blocked him. | They all had terrible human rights records but Blair hoped the diplomatic assurances that the terror suspects sent back would not be ill-treated or tortured would be enough to convince the British courts in London to allow them to go ahead. Blair knew he was going into a lengthy battle with the courts and warned that he was prepared to amend the Human Rights Act if they blocked him. |
| The strategy had mixed results. Terror suspects were sent back to Jordan, Algeria, Libya and other countries but only after protracted battles. | The strategy had mixed results. Terror suspects were sent back to Jordan, Algeria, Libya and other countries but only after protracted battles. |
| But the Abu Qatada case proved even more difficult. In his case it was not enough to get assurances from Jordan that he would not be tortured or ill-treated on his return. What was needed is the assurance that he would be given a fair trial by a state security court system in which human rights judges say the use of evidence obtained by torture is endemic. | But the Abu Qatada case proved even more difficult. In his case it was not enough to get assurances from Jordan that he would not be tortured or ill-treated on his return. What was needed is the assurance that he would be given a fair trial by a state security court system in which human rights judges say the use of evidence obtained by torture is endemic. |
| By saying he is willing to go back voluntarily, Abu Qatada is saying he accepts that the new treaty provides that assurance. As his barrister, Edward Fitzgerald QC, put it: "This is the first time in 12 years that he feels safe to be going back." | By saying he is willing to go back voluntarily, Abu Qatada is saying he accepts that the new treaty provides that assurance. As his barrister, Edward Fitzgerald QC, put it: "This is the first time in 12 years that he feels safe to be going back." |
| The alternative would have been yet another lengthy legal battle through the British courts testing the credibility of the no-torture evidence assurances in the new treaty. It would have most likely meant that Abu Qatada would still be in Britain by the time of the next general election. Now he may well be gone in a matter of months. | The alternative would have been yet another lengthy legal battle through the British courts testing the credibility of the no-torture evidence assurances in the new treaty. It would have most likely meant that Abu Qatada would still be in Britain by the time of the next general election. Now he may well be gone in a matter of months. |
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