With the adoption of the new Law on Foreigners which is aligned with the required directives of the European Union (EU), was defined, among other things, that foreign citizens cannot be detained in custody for longer than 18 months. This means that the longtime detainee in the Immigration center in Istocno Sarajevo Imad al-Husin (Abu Hamza) will be released soon.
Abu Hamza is in the immigration center for seven years, because he was declared as a threat for national security. He originates from Syria, and he came to B&H in the 1980’s. During the war, he fought in B&H as a member of the El-Mudzahid brigade. After the war, he got citizenship of B&H, but was arrested in 2008.
The new Law on Foreigners emphasizes that the person cannot be held for longer than 18 months in the Immigration Centre. This means that Abu Hamza, a longtime detainee, might be released soon, with certain measures, which will probably be determined.
“Fifteen days before the expiration of his current surveillance measures for a period of three months, which were imposed on him late November, new solution on the so-called softer control measures will have to be imposed. This means that Abu Hamza will most likely get some measures of limited movement in a particular area, with regular reporting to the competent authorities,” said Nedim Kulenovic of the NGO “Vasa prava (Your Rights)”.
Regarding the deportation of Abu Hamza to Syria, whose citizen he is, is not possible at the moment. First of all, the Strasbourg court decided that Abu Hamza cannot be deported to Syria because he is threatened by the regime of Bashar al-Assad, and because of the war in that country.
(Source: S. H./Klix.ba)
