Jailed hate preacher Abu Hamza ‘one step closer’ to winning his ‘compassionate’ return to Britain from US Supermax jail
HATE preacher Abu Hamza could be one step closer to a return to Britain as he pushes his campaign to be released from a US Supermax jail on "compassionate" grounds.
The hook-handed cleric was told he would die behind bars after he was found guilty of 11 kidnapping and terrorism charges in 2015.
The notorious hate preacher masterminded kidnappings and set up a terrorist training camp in the US.
But now prison guards have given Hamza's lawyers a copy of his medical records as part of his legal challenge, reports the
If released from the maximum-security jail ADX Florence in Colorado, it could see the 63-year-old head back to the UK.
In January, Hamza claimed he is losing his sight and told a court he has “untreated vision decay”, possibly linked to Covid-19.
He said he had been refused a coronavirus test at his US jail and wants to be sent back to the UK.
Hamza, serving life for terrorism charges, said: “This new development makes it impossible to communicate, interact or compile any legal work.”
In a laundry-list of complaints, the convicted terror cleric said he suffered “headaches, fatigue, runny nose, lighting coffing (sic) and frequent sneezing” following a visit by an eye doctor.
He filed the Covid-19 complaints in a 97-page motion for a temporary restraining order – seeking release from prison and his return to the UK – in September.
It was included in a lawsuit he is pursuing against outgoing US Attorney General Bill Barr, claiming he had been subjected to “cruel” jail conditions.
Chief US District Judge Philip Brimmer denied his freedom bid in October, but in December Hamza asked the court to “fully or partially” reconsider.
His attempt to get out of jail is opposed by US prosecutors.
But last month, New York judge Analisa Torres was asked if the prison could hand a copy of Hamza's medical records to his defense team.
In a requested to Judge Torres, attorney Audrey Strauss wrote: At the suggestion of the Bureau of Prisons ("BOP") and defence counsel, the Government writes to request that the Court grant the BOP permission to provide medical records for the defendant to defence counsel in this matter, to facilitate the filing of a motion for compassionate release.
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"The Court’s granting of such permission will obviate the need for defence counsel to obtain a waiver from the defendant for the release of his medical records to his attorneys."
To be able to be released on compassionate grounds, inmates much file a petition with their prison governor.
Such a release is only granted "when there are particularly extraordinary or compelling circumstances which could not reasonably have been foreseen by the court at the time of sentencing.”
