Hamza accused of stirring up race hatred

Radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza appeared in court today charged with a string of offences including stirring up racial hatred and possessing a terrorist document.

Radical Islamic cleric Abu Hamza appeared in court today charged with a string of offences including stirring up racial hatred and possessing aterrorist document.

Hamza, a one-eyed former imam, was read a total of 16 charges as he sat in the dock at Belmarsh high security jail in south east London.

There were 10 charges of soliciting murder under section four of the Offences Against the Person Act (1861).

In each, Hamza was accused of soliciting others to murder non-believers at public meetings. Several of the charges specified that Hamza had encouraged others to murder Jews.

He also faces four charges under the Public Order Act 1986 of "using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of stirring up racial hatred".

A further charge said Hamza was in possession of eight video and audio recordings, which he intended to distribute to stir up racial hatred.

He faces one charge under section 58 of the Terrorism Act which relates to the alleged possession of a document which contained information "of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".