EU judges rule that hate preacher Qatada's rights were violated

London, Feb.20 (ANI): Judges in the European Court of Human Rights have ruled that the human rights of hate preacher Abu Qatada had been violated and ordered that he be awarded 2,500 pounds as compensation.

Yesterday Qatada- dubbed al-Qaeda's European envoy - lost the latest round of his UK legal battle to stay in Britain, but 24 hours later, he won a separate case in the European Court of Human Rights that his detention violated the Human Rights Convention.

According to The Sun, Qatada was held under anti-terror laws introduced by the Government after the 2001 attacks on America.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: "This decision will horrify most reasonable people in the UK. It shows just how incompetent the (Gordon Brown) Government has been at managing the problem of preachers of hate and, frankly, it makes a mockery of the concept of human rights if we can't protect ourselves against people who are out to destroy our society." This decision will horrify most reasonable people in the UK."

Qatada - who is wanted for terror charges in Jordan - was first detained in 2002, when the UK's Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac) described him as a "truly dangerous individual".

The 48-year old father of five, who came to Britain in 1993 on a forged passport, was later bailed, but placed under a control order. In 2005 he was arrested in preparation for his deportation to Jordan, but was again released on appeal. He was returned to jail last November and remains in Belmarsh high security prison. (ANI)