ABU Qatada's deportation is in the hands of the British courts after the Jordanian terror suspect lost his attempt to make a final appeal to Europe's human rights judges.
The radical cleric's lawyers immediately applied for him to be released on bail as it looked likely that deportation proceedings will still take many months.
But Home Secretary Theresa May had a narrow escape as, while they rejected the case, the panel of five judges also ruled that Qatada's appeal on the night of April 17 was within the court's deadline.
No reasons were given for the refusal to allow the case to be heard by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
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