Minister in talks aimed at deporting radical cleric

A HOME Office minister is to fly to Jordan to try to gain assurances that would enable radical cleric Abu Qatada to stand trial in the country.

Downing Street officials said James Brokenshire would be travelling to the Middle East state next week.

Prime Minister David Cameron is also due to speak to King Abdullah of Jordan about the case by telephone today.

Qatada, also known as Omar Othman, 51, was convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement with terrorist attacks in 1998 and has featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 11 September bombers. Since 2001 he has challenged – and ultimately thwarted – every attempt by the UK government to deport him.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled last month that sending Qatada back to face terrorism charges without assurances about the conduct of a trial would be a “flagrant denial of justice”.

An immigration judge ruled this week that Qatada – once described as “Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe” – should be released on bail after more than six years in custody.

It followed a ruling by the ECHR that he could not be sent back to Jordan without assurances that he would not be tried with evidence obtained under torture.