STRASBOURG, France, May 9 (UPI) -- The European Court of Human Rights has ruled Britain can deport a radical Islamic cleric to Jordan.
Lawyers for Abu Qatada had argued he was likely to be tortured if deported. The court in Strasbourg, France, rejected his appeal without giving any reasons, The Guardian reported.
"I am pleased by the European court's decision. The Qatada case will now go through the British courts," Home Secretary Theresa May said. "I am confident the assurances we have from Jordan mean we can put Qatada on a plane and get him out of Britain."
May planned to deport Qatada in April and had him taken into custody, believing he had missed the deadline for an appeal to the European court. The court ruled Qatada's appeal, filed after his arrest, was done within the allowable time limit.
Qatada's lawyers are expected to apply for bail soon, the newspaper said.
