Caribbean National Weekly

Protest action by Jamaican police prevents extradition hearing of Muslim Cleric

By Natalie Greaves··1 min read
Protest action by Jamaican police prevents extradition hearing of Muslim Cleric
Key Points(5)
  • The controversial Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, will re-appear in a Jamaican court early next year after his extradition (from Jamaica) hearing on Thursday was postponed due to the ongoing industrial action by police officers.
  • The extradition hearing is now set for January 4.
  • Police officers have been reporting sick since Monday over dissatisfaction increased wages and their actions have affected the operations of the courts across the island.
  • In August, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R.
  • Vance, Jr., and New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill said Shaikh Faisal, also known as Trevor William Forrest, used his network to aid the Islamic State.

The controversial Muslim cleric, Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, will re-appear in a Jamaican court early next year after his extradition (from Jamaica) hearing on Thursday was postponed due to the ongoing industrial action by police officers.

The extradition hearing is now set for January 4.

Police officers have been reporting sick since Monday over dissatisfaction increased wages and their actions have affected the operations of the courts across the island.

In August, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and New York City Police Commissioner James O’Neill said Shaikh Faisal, also known as Trevor William Forrest, used his network to aid the Islamic State.

They said Faisal had been indicted with soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism in the first degree as a crime of terrorism and other charges.

The indictment follows a yearlong investigation by the New York Police Department (NYPD) Intelligence Bureau and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s Counter Terrorism Program, which was created in June 2015 to identify and pursue investigative leads related to home-grown terror plots, extremist activities and terror-financing.

In September, Justice Broderick Smith denied bail to the cleric after hearing arguments in a Corporate Area court.

Also on Caribbean National Weekly:  Deported Jamaican Islamic cleric charged for helping ISIS terrorist group

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