Abu Hamza due in US court following extradition

The BBC's Andy Moore: This plane "was thought to be carrying Abu Hamza"

Continue reading the main story

Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza is due to appear in court in New York to face terrorism charges.

He is one of five men who left the UK on two flights, hours after the High Court rejected their final appeals.
It has been confirmed Babar Ahmad and Tahla Ahsan have landed in the US. They will appear before a federal judge in Connecticut in connection with the alleged running of a pro-jihad website.

The home secretary said she was looking to speed up the extradition process.
On Friday, judges ruled the five men - Abu Hamza, Mr Ahmad, Mr Ahsan, Adel Abdul Bary and Khaled al-Fawwaz - did not show "new and compelling" reasons to stay in the UK.

Their decision came after the European Court of Human Rights backed successive UK courts in ruling for the extraditions after a legal process of more than eight years.
The men were on two planes which left a military airbase in Suffolk.

Abu Hamza faces 11 charges in the US relating to hostage taking, conspiracy to establish a militant training camp and calling for holy war in Afghanistan.

His lawyers had argued he was not fit to be deported on health grounds.
He is set to go before a judge within 24 hours of landing, and will appear in an open hearing following his arrival at an airport in New York state.

The trial of terror suspect Abu Hamza could take up to three years

Abu Hamza is then expected to be held at the Metropolitan Correction Centre in Manhattan, in an area reserved for high-profile prisoners.

A pre-trial hearing is likely to take place within about three weeks. The actual trial, which is expected take place in public, could take between one and three years.

On Friday, UK Judges Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Ousley said in their ruling that there was an "overwhelming public interest in the functioning of the extradition system" and that there was "no appeal from our decision".

Home Secretary Theresa May said she was "pleased" the men were "finally being removed to face justice".
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme she would be looking at lessons from the judiciary, other countries, and scrutinising the levels of appeal available in the UK to "make some changes" to the extradition process.

"It is right to look at the process. It is frustrating, I think everybody is frustrated at how long it has taken to extradite these particular individuals."

“Start Quote"

This has been a lengthy process, but the government's commitment to presenting this case to a jury during a fair and open trial has never wavered”

End Quote David Fein US Attorney for Connecticut

But she also insisted the government had acted "as properly and quickly as we can at every stage... the point is there is a lengthy process. I think we do need to make some changes."

David Fein, the US Attorney for Connecticut, confirmed the arrival of the flight carrying Mr Ahmad and Mr Ahsan.

He said Mr Ahmad and Mr Ahsan were indicted in 2004 and 2006 respectively with offences "stemming from their involvement in, and operation of websites "that allegedly provided material support to the Chechen Muhjahideen, the Taliban, and associated terrorist groups".

They will appear before New Haven Federal Court in the state, where an internet service provider was said to have been used to host one of the sites.

Mr Fein added: "This has been a lengthy process, but the government's commitment to presenting this case to a jury during a fair and open trial has never wavered."

The plane carrying Abu Hamza and the other two men is believed to have landed in the US shortly after Mr Ahmad and Mr Ahsan's flight but officials with the US Attorney's office in New York have not formally confirmed its arrival.

Mr al-Fawwaz and Mr Bary are accused of being aides to Osama Bin Laden in London.