‘Tunisia offered asylum to Abu Qatada’

A Jordanian lawmaker says Tunisia offered asylum to a cleric known as Abu Qatada before his deportation from Britain to Amman.

According to IRIB, on Monday, Mohammad Hjuj said, “Abu Qatada told us that Tunisia offered him asylum before he was deported to Jordan,” adding that “Abu Qatada said he refused the offer because he wanted to return to Jordan after receiving government guarantees related to his trial.”
Hjuj said he was among a group of MPs who met the cleric in jail last Monday.
He added “He told us that all what he cared about was to return home and have a fair trial because he believes he is innocent.”
On July 7, the 53 year-old preacher was charged with “conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts,” in Jordan.
The charges were brought against him just hours after he was deported from Britain, following a decade-long battle over his extradition.
On July 21, Abu Qatada’s lawyer Taysir Diab said in a statement that “The state security court in Jordan refused to release Abu Qatada on bail.”