Muslim cleric Abu Hamza launches bid to retain UK citizenship

The notorious jailed Muslim cleric Abu Hamza has been accused of legal guerilla warfare by a judge after he launched a new bid to retain his right to British citizenship.

The hook-handed Hamza was a former imam at North London’s Finsbury Park Mosque and presently is serving a jail term for stirring racial hatred and inciting murder. He is in the sixth year of a seven year sentence and upon his release he is set to be extradited to the United States. Hamza is fighting the extradition which he claims is a clear breach of international human rights. He is wanted in the US in relation to his role in establishing a terrorist training camp with al-Qaeda links.

Hamza’s latest actions drew derision from Mr Justice Mitting who claimed that it was merely the latest of numerous attempts to remain in the UK. Labeling the appeal as a protracted form of guerilla warfare Justice Mitting did acknowledge that such attempts venture into a myriad of legal waters which mean the appeal could go either way. Justice Mitting also added that putting off the appeal is not an option for the court but warned that if Hamza was deemed stateless then the case would be closed.

The 51-year-old Hamza was born in Egypt but denies holding an Egyptian passport, lending weight to the argument that he would become stateless should British authorities strip him of his citizenship. The first attempt to deny him his citizenship was in 2003 after an alleged bigamous marriage although that was suspended the following year after he was arrested.