RADICAL ISLAMIST cleric Abu Qatada yesterday had his bail revoked and was returned to indefinite detention in a maximum security prison pending the outcome of a legal battle over his deportation to Jordan, writes ALAN TRAVISin London
The Special Immigration Appeals Commission, in effect Britain's national security court, ruled that evidence from the security services, heard in secret, had convinced them there was now an increased risk of Qatada absconding.
Qatada, described by a Spanish judge as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, was released on bail in June to live with his family in west London under a 22-hour curfew after the court of appeal ruled it was unsafe to return him to Jordan.
The preacher has spent 3½ years in maximum security jails since he was first declared a risk to national security in January 2001 on the grounds that he encouraged other extremists to commit acts of terrorism by providing religious sanction for them.
The immigration judges said their decision to revoke his bail was based on the evidence they had heard in secret: "The secretary of state relies on information contained in the closed case to justify the revocation of bail."
This remains confidential and is only spelled out in a sepa- rate "closed" unpublished judgment.
The "open" version published yesterday said none of the reasons put forward by the Home Office in the public sessions of the commission's two-day hearing would justify the revocation of his bail.
Qatada was in Belmarsh prison in east London last night but is expected to be moved to Long Lartin maximum security prison in Worcestershire in central England, in the near future. - (Guardian service)