UK court rules that Birmingham imam may be extradited to Spain

A UK court has ruled that Birmingham-based imam Tarik Chadlioui may be extradited to Spain, where he is accused of producing videos encouraging people to fight for ISIL in Syria. His lawyers argued that extraditing him would breach his Article 8 right to a family life, as his family’s sole source of income. However, the Court found that “the seriousness of the offence and the public interest in upholding [the UK’s] extradition agreement outweigh the interference with Mr Chadloui and his family’s rights”. It said that it was important that the UK was not regarded “as a foreign haven for those avoiding prosecution in foreign jurisdictions”.

The Court also noted that, in the event Mr Chadloui was extradited, the family would be eligible for benefits, the mosques at which he preached were likely to support them, and his 17 and 18 year old children could seek work if necessary.