Well, 7 years........
Behind bars: Hamza jailed for seven years
13:06pm 7th February 2006
Guilty: Muslim cleric Abu Hamza
Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza has been jailed for seven years for inciting his followers to murder non-Muslims and Jews.
Sentencing him, Mr Justice Hughes said he had "helped to create an atmosphere in which to kill has become regarded by some as not only a legitimate course but a moral and religious duty in pursuit of perceived justice".
The judge said: "No one can now say what damage your words may have caused. No one can say whether your audience, present or wider, acted on your words."
But he added that his views had caused "real danger to the lives of innocent people in different parts of the world".
Hamza, 47, described by security sources as a key figure in the global Islamic terror movement, was convicted of 11 out of 15 charges by the Old Bailey jury on the fourth day of its deliberations. The sentences on the remaining charges are to run concurrently.
Hamza also wanted in US
What the jurors were not told was that the former Imam at the controversial Finsbury Park Mosque in north London is also wanted in the US where is accused of terror charges.
They were also unaware that when police raided the mosque in January 2003, they found an array of terrorist paraphernalia, including nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protective suits, blank firing weapons, a stun gun and a CS canister.
Detectives suspect the material had been used in terror training camps in the UK.
Hamza, 47, was earlier convicted of stirring up racial hatred and possessing a terror "manual", the Encyclopaedia Of The Afghani Jihad.
The handless former imam of Finsbury Park Mosque in north London showed no reaction, staring straight ahead as the guilty verdicts were read out.
He showed no emotion afterwards but leant forward to speak to his counsel Edward Fitzgerald. Hamza then consulted with his solicitor before being led to the cells.
Hamza was convicted unanimously of six out of the nine soliciting to murder charges he faced by the seven men and five women jury on the fourth day of their deliberations.
He was also convicted of two charges under the Public Order Act 1986 of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred".
The cleric was further convicted of a charge of possession of video and audio recordings which he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred.
He was also convicted on the last of the 15 charges he faced, under section 58 of the Terrorism Act, of possession of a document, the Encyclopaedia Of The Afghani Jihad, which contained information "of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
Potential targets
The manual featured a dedication to Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and a list of potential targets, including Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and skyscrapers.
He was acquitted of the other three soliciting to murder charges and of one charge of stirring up racial hatred.
During his month-long Old Bailey trial, the prosecution had alleged that Hamza was a recruiting sergeant for terrorism and murder.
In his talks to audiences at the Finsbury Park mosque and in Luton, Blackburn and Whitechapel, east London, "he was preaching terrorism, homicidal violence and hatred".
Hamza made clear encouragement to kill when he gave lectures and sermons, according to David Perry, prosecuting.
He had "used the most dangerous weapons available - a great religion, Islam, his position as a civic leader and the power of words, his own words".
Loud, emphatic speeches
Nine of Hamza's speeches were played to the jury during his trial - eight on video and one audio. Jurors were given nearly 600 A4 pages of transcripts of his talks - which were often loud, emphatic and sometimes barely audible.
Prosecution alleged that as well as his role as recruiting officer for homicidal violence, Hamza had also preached hatred.
"Through his threatening, abusive and insulting words, he preached hatred against Jews as a racial and ethnic group - not limited to Zionist Jews, or Jews in Israel, if that would not be bad enough. He preached hatred unqualified of the Jews.
"You may think, having seen these lectures and sermons, that for him Islam is not the inclusive, moderate and tolerant religion practised by millions, but a religion of bitterness, resentment and hostility."
But the defence urged the jury to reject "this belated, misconceived and excessive prosecution" against Hamza.
Hamza claimed the case against him was politically motivated. The police had made up a case out of nothing, it was suggested.
They had arrested him back in 1999 when they had taken away 725 tapes, some of which were of a similar nature to those in the current case.
They had also taken away a 10-volume Encyclopaedia Of The Afghani Jihad at the same time.
The prosecution was later to rely on the encyclopaedia, alleging it was a terrorism "manual".
But Hamza said it had been a gift and he had not read it. He dismissed a prosecution question asking whether there were Jihad (struggle to establish Islam) training camps in the UK as "a silly idea".
After he was arrested last year he produced a written statement declaring: "I have never wanted to or encouraged anyone to hurt British people."
The cleric said he was victim of a witch hunt by the media. "There is a hate campaign which has taken place against me."
Hamza, 47, denied all the charges.
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