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Police investigate publications found in Abu Qatada's home Police investigate publications found in Abu Qatada's home
(about 2 hours later)
Anti-terrorist police are mounting a new investigation into the radical cleric Abu Qatada after seizing large amounts of material in a raid on his home. Anti-terrorist police are carrying out a new investigation into the radical cleric Abu Qatada after uncovering evidence that may show he could be spreading extremism across the world.
Detectives from the counter-terrorism command of the Metropolitan police said they had seized material, including internet and traditional publications, from the cleric's home, it was revealed on Thursday. Detectives from the counter terrorism command of the Metropolitan police have seized a vast amount of material – including internet and traditional publications – from Qatada's home in north London, it was revealed on Thursday.
The deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Osborne said officers were going through the material, which was in several languages. He said it included many different publications. Deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Osborne – who is senior national coordinator for counter terrorism in the UK — said officers were going through the material, which was in several languages. He said it included many different publications and was a large mass of material.
Abu Qatada was arrested earlier this month for breaching his bail conditions. He has since been remanded in custody. The investigation is examining whether it crosses the criminal threshold to enable a prosecution to be brought against Qatada in Britain for the first time since he was detained in the UK 10years ago.
Police say the investigation began after they started to suspect the cleric was communicating to the outside world via the internet. When they raided his home they discovered a number of mobile phones and during a detailed search discovered the publications. They were investigating whether Abu Qatada was the author of the publications. Osborne said: "These publications may or may not be attributed to him. There are a range of sources. There is an awful lot of media that needs to be looked through.
He was arrested a day before the home secretary, Theresa May, was due to make another bid to have him deported from the UK to Jordan. Abu Qatada's strict bail conditions imposed restrictions on his contact with the outside world. His arrest was carried out by the UK Border Agency. "These include publications on the internet which obviously would go across the whole world. We are investigating where these are sourced from, they are in a range of different languages and probably being translated from one language to another."
The investigation will examine whether Qatada was the author of the material.
Qatada – who in 1999 was convicted in his absence of terrorism charges in Jordan – has fought attempts to deport him for 10 years since he was first detained. Once described by a Spanish judge as Osama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe, he was recently labelled still "truly dangerous," by the home secretary, Theresa May, and the British courts.
May came closest to deporting him last year but three judges from the special immigration appeals commission (Siac) ruled he could not lawfully be deported to Jordan and he was released from Long Lartin jail to his home in north London with strict bail conditions.
Under the conditions he is not permitted to publish or permit to be published any document or statement without the prior approval of the home secretary and cannot make any statements that he has reason to believe are likely to be published. He is under a 16-hour curfew and banned from using any mobile communication device, a landline phone or the internet. He also had to wear an electronic tag.
Qatada was arrested this month after police carried out raids at his home, another house and a business as part of a continuing investigation.
Officers say they discovered several mobile phones and the publications. Qatada was arrested by the UK border agency for allegedly breaching his Siac bail conditions. He remains in custody. His arrest came shortly before the Home Secretary was due to make a fresh attempt to deport him.
Details of the material seized from his home were revealed by police on Thursday — the same day a Siac bail hearing was due to be held which was expected to give details of the alleged breaches. The hearing was adjourned.
May attempted to break the deadlock over Qatada last year by personally securing reassurances from the Jordanian authorities that he would not face trial based on evidence obtained by torture. Her attempts were thwarted when SIAC said that despite those assurances a real risk remained that he would face a trial based on such evidence. They said changes needed to be made to the Jordanian criminal code before they could be satisfied that the risk no longer existed.
May took the case to the Court of Appeal and a judgement is awaited.
Abu Qatada, whose real name is Mohammed Othman, has waged a decade long battle against his deportation. He came to the UK seeking asylum more than 20 years ago.
Despite the statements made against him he has never been prosecuted or charged with offences in Britain.
He has been accused in Siac hearings of not only providing a "religious justification for acts of violence and terror", but also of being a "significant international terrorist, with extensive extremist contacts", engaging "in conduct which facilitates and give[s] encouragement to the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism", and "raising funds for terrorist groups".
MI5 has said in evidence to Siac that it has been difficult to prosecute Abu Qatada as he has been careful to disguise his support for terrorist attacks here and abroad, and that he is not "formally" a member of al-Qaida.