Cleric Abu Qatada arrested for deportation

[Gerald]

Radical cleric Abu Qatada has been arrested ahead of fresh deportation proceedings, the Home Office has said.

Home Secretary Theresa May will update MPs on his case on Tuesday afternoon, while he appears before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission.

The European Court of Human Rights blocked his deportation to Jordan in January, saying evidence obtained by torture might be used against him.

Ministers have been seeking assurances from Jordan this will not be the case.

The Home Office had previously said it was making "good progress" in obtaining those guarantees from Jordan, where he faces charges of plotting bomb attacks.

'Security threat'

Mrs May travelled to Jordan in March for talks with the king and ministers on the case of the 51-year-old Palestinian-Jordanian, whom ministers have described as "extremely dangerous".

She will make an emergency statement to the Commons on Tuesday about the cleric, who is regarded as a threat to UK national security.A Home Office spokesman said on Tuesday: "UK Border Agency officers have today arrested Abu Qatada and told him that we intend to resume deportation proceedings against him."A British judge had ended Abu Qatada's six-year UK detention in February, weeks after the European Court of Human Rights blocked his deportation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17737454


Note: 17 April 2012 Last updated at 13:10 GMT