Terror suspect Abu Qatada

The European rights court has blocked deportation of terror suspect Abu Qatada. The European rights court Wednesday said it was still opposed to Britain s bid to extradite Abu Qatada to Jordan after a lawyer for the Islamist cleric filed a fresh appeal. London is locked in a new battle with the court after re-arresting the 51-year-old Abu Qatada on Tuesday. Britain said it planned to deport the Jordanian cleric despite the court s ruling in January that he should not be sent to Jordan because evidence against him may have been obtained through torture. Abu Qatada was found guilty in absentia in 1998, but Jordan has promised to quash the conviction and give him a new hearing before civilian judges, with independent defence lawyers and the right to question witnesses, British Home Secretary Theresa May.