Posted on 10/30/2006 2:27:40 AM PST by Mrs Ivan
Radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza is today challenging his convictions for incitement to murder and race-hate offences.
In February, Hamza, 48, was convicted by an Old Bailey jury of 11 of the 15 charges he faced and was jailed for seven years.
His appeal is expected to last two days and will be heard by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, sitting with Mr Justice Penry-Davey and Mr Justice Pitchford at the Court of Appeal in London.
During Hamza's month-long trial the prosecution alleged he was a recruiting sergeant for global terrorism. He was given the go-ahead to challenge his convictions by three judges in the Court of Appeal in July.
During those proceedings Edward Fitzgerald QC argued that the long delay in bringing a prosecution against Hamza had made a fair trial "impossible".
Granting leave to appeal, Sir Igor Judge said the impact of the pre-trial publicity and publicity during the trial itself should be considered.
The fact that the crimes he was convicted of took place before 2000 and the decision to prosecute him was delayed until 2004 also needed to be looked at, he added. Hamza was refused leave to appeal against sentence.
The cleric was convicted of inciting his followers to murder non-Muslims and Jews by "preaching terrorism, homicidal violence and hatred" in sermons at the Finsbury Park mosque in north London and in Luton, Blackburn and Whitechapel, east London.
“The cleric was convicted of inciting his followers to murder non-Muslims and Jews…”
[Pedant] Is Judaism a subset of Islam these days then? [/Pedant]
Somehow, with what is happening in France today, I don't think this is going to get much more than lip service.
Where are they on the ricin case?
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