Extradition battle: how terrorist suspects are using European human rights laws Britain has three months to appeal to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights before the decision becomes final. The government could ask the Americans to give reassurances that the men would not be kept in Supermax conditions or that they would go through a process known as "step-down" to less extreme conditions, because Europe considered them inhumane. What happens if it they win the case? If the appeal to the Grand Chamber fails, all six would probably be set free. The government would be likely to attempt to electronically tag them but even if a court granted permission it would only last two years under the new "terrorist prevention and investigation measures" brought in by the coalition to replace control orders and they would then be back on the streets. Why can't we just deport them? Hamza became a British citizen in 1986 after his bigamous marriage to a British woman. A tribunal found two years ago that he had been stripped of his citizenship in Egypt in 2004 and therefore Britain had missed its chance to send him back. Fawwaz is a Saudi citizen but Britain has not deported people to Saudi Arabia in the past because they have a record of torture. Bary could be sent back to Egypt, although he is likely to appeal, but the remaining three men are all British. What happens if Britain sends them to America anyway? France and Italy have ignored such rulings in the past, usually by deporting prisoners before they launch appeals, and only been fined a few thousand pounds in damages and costs. However, ignoring a judgment would probably lead to further proceedings in domestic courts and in Europe and possible political fall-out.