Abu Hamza al-Masri

In this Arabic name, the name "al-Masri" is a laqab, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given names "Abu Hamza" or "Hamza" (but never "Abu").

Abu Hamza al-Masri
أبو حمزة المصري
al-Masri, shortly after his extradition to the U.S. in 2012
Born
Mustafa Kamel Mustafa
مصطفى كامل مصطفى

(1958-04-15) 15 April 1958 (age 66)
Alexandria, Egypt
NationalityEgyptian[2]
Criminal statusImprisoned at ADX Florence, Colorado, United States[1]
Conviction(s)Terrorism
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment without the possibility of parole

Mustafa Kamel Mustafa (Arabic: مصطفى كامل مصطفى; born 15 April 1958), also known as Abu Hamza al-Masri (/ˈɑːbuː ˈhɑːmzə ɑːl ˈmɑːsri/ ⓘ; أبو حمزة المصري, Abū Ḥamzah al-Maṣrī – literally, father of Hamza, the Egyptian), or simply Abu Hamza, is an Egyptian cleric who was the imam of Finsbury Park Mosque in London, where he preached Islamic fundamentalist views.

The UK tabloid press nicknamed him "Captain Hook" in allusion to the fictional pirate Captain Hook, due to his prosthetic hook devices.[3][4][5]

In 2004, Hamza was arrested by British police after the United States requested he be extradited to face charges. He was later charged by British authorities with sixteen offences for inciting violence and racial hatred.[6] In 2006, a British court found him guilty of inciting violence, and sentenced him to seven years' imprisonment. On 5 October 2012, after an eight-year legal battle, he was extradited from the UK to the United States to face terrorism charges[7][8] and on 14 April 2014 his trial began in New York.[9] On 19 May 2014, Hamza was found guilty of eleven terrorism charges by a jury in Manhattan. On 9 January 2015, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[10]

  1. ^ Inmate Locator Archived 31 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine search for register number 67495-054. Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Britain: Citizenship Restored to Cleric Wanted on Terrorism Charges in U.S." The New York Times. 6 November 2010. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  3. ^ Frost, Martin (2006). "Abu Hamza al-Masri". Martin Frost's former web site. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009.
  4. ^ Holden, Michael (10 April 2012). "Hook-handed Hamza: much more than a James Bond villain". Reuters. Archived from the original on 10 April 2012.
  5. ^ Hume, Mick (28 April 2004). "So Captain 'Hamza' Hook is a threat? Oh no he isn't! (original), Hamza Hook: a panto villain (reprint)". The Times (via Spiked-online.com). Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. The original article Archived 22 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine in The Times is available by subscription.
  6. ^ Cowan, Rosie (20 October 2004). "Abu Hamza charged with inciting murders". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  7. ^ Neumeister, Larry; Christofferson, John (6 October 2012). "5 terror suspects from UK appear in US courts". The Age. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012.
  8. ^ FP Staff (6 October 2012). "Abu Hamza to appear in US court". The First Post. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  9. ^ McVeigh, Karen (14 April 2014). "Abu Hamza to testify in New York terrorism trial as jury selection begins". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Radical cleric Abu Hamza jailed for life by US court". BBC. 9 January 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.