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Clarke to extradite Ahmad to US
Charles Clarke has decided to order the extradition of Babar Ahmad to the US to face trial on alleged terrorism offences, the Home Office has said.
It said the home secretary had "given full consideration" to representations made on Mr Ahmad's behalf.
Mr Ahmad, 31, a computer expert from Tooting, London, is accused of running websites that supported terrorists and urged Muslims to fight a holy war.
His family said they would appeal the extradition order in the High Court.
On a posting on his website he said: "This decision should only come as a surprise to those who thought that there was still justice for Muslims in Britain.
I entrust my affairs to Allah and His Words from the Quran."
Meanwhile, a spokesman for his family said: "In effect, this sends a message to British Muslims that there is no legal and democratic means to air your
concerns. We held protests, wrote letters, lobbied MPs and compiled petitions of over 15,000 signatures...
"If the floodgates for extradition are allowed to be opened, it will be British Muslims that will be targeted - the very people the British government was hoping to win support from in the fight against terrorism."
'Full consideration'
In May 2005, a District Court judge ruled Mr Ahmad could be extradited, and the case was sent to the home secretary for final approval.
A Home Office spokesman said: "The home secretary has given full consideration to complex representations that have been made on Mr Ahmad's behalf, but is satisfied that the conditions for his extradition have been met.
It is a matter for Mr Ahmad as to whether he wishes to appeal this decision and the earlier decision of the District Judge that he is extraditable."
The Labour MP for Tooting, Sadiq Khan, told BBC News 24 Mr Ahmad should face any trial in the UK.
"He should face the music in front of his peers in the UK rather than the Americans," Mr Khan said.
"It can't be right for a British citizen to be treated in this way."
Terror allegations
In claims dating back to 1997, the US government has accused Mr Ahmad of "conspiring to support terrorism", saying he "sought, invited and solicited contributions" via websites and e-mails.
The US Department of State has claimed that websites run by Mr Ahmad, urged Muslims to use "every means at their disposal" to train for jihad, or holy war.
The websites are said to call for support for terrorist causes in Afghanistan and Chechnya, as well as encouraging the transfer of money and useful equipment via the sites.
Lawyers representing Mr Ahmad have said he would be at risk of the death penalty if he was sent to the US and transferred to military jurisdiction.
Extradition legislation
The extradition order comes under UK legislation designed to speed up the extradition of suspected terrorists, which came into force in January 2004. The government is fully committed to completing extradition cases relating to terrorist offences as quickly as possible
Under the act there is no requirement for the US authorities to present a prima facie case, although UK authorities must do so in seeking extraditions from the US.
The Home Office spokesperson said: "The government is fully committed to completing extradition cases relating to terrorist offences as quickly as possible.
We have already seen the positive effects of strict time limits introduced in the Extradition Act 2003, with many Part 2 cases to date being resolved in six months or less.
Furthermore, we have begun a consultation on how it may be possible to expedite future extradition cases involving terrorism."
Source: BBC News
16 Nov 2005
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