David Cameron today welcomed Abu Hamza’s conviction on terrorism charges as he pledged to “take more steps” to speed up the deportation of people who pose a threat to Britain.
The extradited British cleric is facing life in prison after being found guilty of 11 terrorism charges in the US, including conspiring to set up a terror training camp in Oregon, conspiring to kidnap Americans in Yemen and providing support to terrorist organisations.
The Prime Minister said it was “good that he has faced justice” and insisted he would take action to speed up the extradition process if the Conservatives are re-elected.
Hamza, 56, has already served a UK prison sentence for using his sermons at the Finsbury Park mosque in London to incite murder and racial hatred. He was extradited to the US in 2012. Yesterday, at a federal court in New York, the jury convicted him on all counts. He will be sentenced on September 8.
“I think we should reflect on whether we can extradite faster,” Mr Cameron said, adding the process should include speeding up appeals and preventing suspects from stringing out their cases by using human rights laws.
“Obviously we also need to look at the European Convention on Human Rights. If someone threatens our country we should be able to deport them if they have no right to be here and it is essential that we restore that.”
Three Britons and an Australian were killed in 1998 in Yemen when 16 tourists were taken hostage by armed terrorists in an incident orchestrated by Hamza.
One of the hostages, Londoner Eric Firkins, 70, said: “The worst thing, coming back from Yemen, was finding it had all been organised in north London.
“For years I saw him on the television every day, a free man who was still spouting hatred. Now I can parcel it up.”
