COLNE Valley MP Jason McCartney has offered to start a fund to pay any fine the UK will face if it ignores a European Court of Human Rights judgement over a terror suspect.
The court has ruled that Britain cannot deport radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada whom the Government says poses a serious risk to our national security.
Qatada, 51 – once described as ‘Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man in Europe’ – has been held for six-and-a-half years. This is more than any other detainee in modern immigration history while fighting deportation to Jordan.
But he will be released from the maximum security Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire where he is being held after applying for bail. Human rights judges in Europe ruled that he could not be deported without assurances from Jordan that evidence gained through torture would not be used against him.
When the issue was raised in the House of Commons, Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney offered to start a fund to pay any fine and would be the first to put a fiver in.
“I thought I’d start the ball rolling,” he said.
And he has now revealed that one of his constituents has even offered to donate £500 and he has been inundated with many other offers of cash help.
But Mr McCartney now believes it won’t come to a fine. He says both France and Italy have ignored European Court of Human Rights rulings and deported terror suspects and both have received no more punishment than strongly worded letters.
Mr McCartney said: “I am not suggesting for one moment a breakdown in the rule of law.
“This case has been tested through the British judicial system right to the highest court in our land, the Supreme Court. I believe that we should have legal sovereignty when it comes to issues of national security. This should be a British decision.
“We should follow what France and Italy have done.’’
And he insists that if Qatada is deported to Jordan where he faces terrorist charges he won’t be tortured as the eyes of the world will be on the case.
“This case will be carefully monitored,’’ he said. “This man entered the UK on a false passport and he should face the courts in his home country.’’
Home Secretary Theresa May said British courts have found that Qatada “poses a serious risk to our national security,” has a “long-standing association with al Qaida’’ and provides “religious justification for acts of violence and terror.”
She added that Qatada does not have immigration status and is therefore not entitled to claim benefits.
Qatada, also known as Omar Othman, 51, was convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement with terror attacks in 1998 and has featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the September 11 bombers.
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.
