Abu Hamza, prison sentence, radical cleric

Radical cleric Abu Hamza, a well known Muslim cleric who advocates violence, has received a prison sentence from a US court. In May Hamza was convicted on a number of charges that included plotting to set up a terrorism training camp in the US as well as taking hostages. Before the trial of the radical cleric could begin he had to be extradited from the UK, a lengthy process that took some time. After Abu Hamza was convicted but before he received a prison sentence his attorneys asked that the court consider the disabilities involved because the radical cleric is missing an eye and both hands. Defense attorneys argued that a prison sentence would put him in danger but a judge disagreed. An argument was also made that sending Abu Hamza to the Supermax federal prison in Colorado violated the assurances to London judges which allowed the extradition to occur.

Abu Hamza received a life prison sentence, and the judge agreed that the radical cleric could be safely imprisoned by the federal department of corrections. Prosecutors won the argument and the judge found that the government of the United States never made promises that are violated by the life prison sentence, and that this was the only possible sentence for the radical cleric. Judge Katherine Forrest used words including misguided and barbaric when she handed down the life prison sentence, and said that she could not imagine a time when he would be safe to be released. Judge Forrest also stated that the decision about where Abu Hamaz was imprisoned would be left to federal correction officials.