London: A London court sentenced radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza to 7-years in jail for inciting murder and racial hatred.
The 47 year-old former Imam was convicted of preaching to his followers that killing was a legitimate and moral recourse. He was also found guilty of having manuals and tape recordings that detail terrorist tactics and potential targets.
Hamza was born in Egypt, but is a British citizen although his citizenship is currently under dispute. He's been living in London for many years. Hamza is wanted in the US on terrorism charges.
The British authorities faced questions about why it took so long to act against Hamza.
During sentencing, Judge Anthony Hughes said 47-year-old Abu Hamza's sermons had helped generate a climate in which some now regarded it as a "moral duty" to kill.
The Egyptian-born, hook-handed, one-eyed imam of Finsbury Park Mosque, north London showed no emotion as the sentence was handed down in Central Criminal Court. His defense team vowed to appeal the "politically-motivated" case.
The preacher was convicted on six of nine soliciting-to-murder charges and two of four charges of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior with the intention of stirring up racial hatred."
He was also found guilty of possessing the 11-volume "Encyclopaedia of Afghani Jihad" containing information "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
The book included a dedication to al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden as well as chapters detailing how to make explosives, and advocated hitting high-profile international targets like the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour.
Prosecutors alleged that Hamza was a "recruiting sergeant" for terrorism and murder through his pronouncements against Jews, non-Muslims and what he called "apostates", lapsed followers of Islam or Arab leaders "too close" to Western governments.
(With AFP inputs)
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