Abu Qatada in new appeal - but Olympics mean he must stay in prison By GARETH ROSE Published on Monday 28 May 2012 15:45 TERROR suspect Abu Qatada has lodged a new appeal against deportation but has been refused bail after a judge warned it would be "exceptionally problematic" with the London Olympics already demanding heightened security. The radical cleric, who has allegedly inspired several terrorist atrocities, has battled for six years to avoid being returned to his Jordanian homeland. That fight will continue until October at least, but is likely to last even longer after his lawyers said they would again take his case to the European courts, if they lost at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (Siac). Qatada's continued presence in the UK is a source of frustration and embarrassment to the UK government. However, Theresa May - who got her dates wrong when she believed he had missed a deadline to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in April, only for his lawyers to file at the last minute in an ultimately unsuccessful bid - will be relieved he has not been granted bail. Mr Justice Mitting said his decision was made partly with the Olympics in mind. "I'm satisfied that managing the risk posed by the appellant outside a Category A prison during that time would be exceptionally problematic," he said. That time occupies almost all of the time between now and the hearing date and I am not prepared to take that risk and it would be wrong for me to do so. Home Office barrister Robin Tam, QC, said: "There will be a very high level of demand in those resources in order to protect the UK during this period. As a matter of logical inference, if Abu Qatada were to abscond, either resources would have to be diverted to finding him or finding him would have to be accorded a lower priority. Qatada's lawyers said they would take his fight against deportation back to Europe if Siac rules against him in October. Edward Fitzgerald, QC, for Qatada, said the case would need a "significant" amount of time. Arguing Qatada's right to be released, he said: "It would be quite wrong for him to remain in prison for another six months. There will be obviously a right of appeal for both parties and the matter is one which will almost inevitably go all the way back to Europe. However, Mr Tam said the proceedings should be "straightforward." "This is not the time to be dragging things out until the last minute," he added. The UK government has run up almost £1 million in legal fees in a series of failed deportation bids. No figures have been given for how much Qatada has received in legal aid, but some estimates suggest the cost of keeping him in the UK, either in a high-security jail or closely monitored in the community, plus the legal bills in the fight to deport him, has been than £3m. Qatada, who is alleged to have high-level support among extremists, was convicted in his absence in Jordan of involvement with terror attacks in 1998 and faces a retrial there. He also featured in hate sermons found on videos in the flat of one of the 11 September bombers. Since 2001, when fears of the domestic terror threat rose in the aftermath of 9/11, he has challenged, and ultimately thwarted, every attempt by the government to detain and deport him. The Home Office said: "Qatada is a dangerous man and we are pleased the court agreed with us he should remain behind bars before he is deported. We intend to remove Qatada as quickly as possible. The assurances we have secured from the Jordanian government will allow us to do that.