January 10, 2015
NEW YORK - The radical London cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri was sentenced to life in a U.S. prison on Friday for his conviction on terrorism-related charges, including his role in the 1998 kidnapping of Western tourists in Yemen that left four hostages dead.
U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest in Manhattan imposed the sentence on the one-eyed, handless Abu Hamza, whom jurors found guilty last May of providing a satellite phone and advice to the kidnappers.
Abu Hamza was also convicted of sending two followers to Oregon to establish a militant training camp, and dispatching an associate to Afghanistan to aid al Qaeda and the Taliban.
"You have not expressed sympathy or remorse," Forrest told Abu Hamza, adding that only a life sentence would ensure he could never again incite violence against innocent people.
Prior to being sentenced, Abu Hamza had told the judge: "I still maintain my innocence."
Abu Hamza, 56, had gained notoriety for his incendiary sermons at the Finsbury Park Mosque in London, which U.S. and U.K. authorities said helped inspire a generation of militants, including the would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid.
British tabloids dub him "Hook," for the prosthetic metal hooks he uses in place of his missing hands.
Defense lawyers asked Forrest to order that Abu Hamza be housed in a medical facility, rather than a "supermax" prison where his disabilities might not be treated properly.
Forrest said she would let prison officials decide where Abu Hamza should be sent.
Abu Hamza, whose real name is Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, testified in his defense at trial. He denied he sent anyone to Oregon or Afghanistan, and claimed he acted as an intermediary during the Yemen kidnapping in search of a peaceful resolution.
He also talked of how he had lost his hands during an accidental explosion in Pakistan while working as an engineer, contradicting reports that he had lost his limbs while fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
His fiery speeches were used against him at his trial, and also at his sentencing, where Forrest cited instances in which he justified killing non-Muslims and praised the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the United States.
"Abu Hamza's blood-soaked journey from cleric to convict, from imam to inmate, is now complete," Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement.
Prior to his 2012 extradition, Abu Hamza had spent eight years in prison in Britain for inciting violence.
