Abu Hamza's son's deportation very worrying - lawyer

Sufyan Mustafa travelled to fight in Syria in 2013

There are "grave concerns" about the deportation of Abu Hamza's son to Turkey, the BBC has been told.

Sufyan Mustafa, from London, was stripped of his British citizenship in 2016 after he travelled to fight in Syria.

The 28-year-old is due to be put on a Turkey-bound flight from the Netherlands shortly before 12:00 GMT on Friday, the BBC understands.

His lawyer Flip Schüller said the situation was "very, very worrying".

He said his client - whose father is a notorious hate preacher currently serving a whole-life sentence in a US prison for terror offences - is being deported following an agreement made between Turkey and the Netherlands.

• 'Stateless' son of Abu Hamza wants UK terror trial

• Profile: Abu Hamza

It is not known what charges, if any, he will face in Turkey and his legal team fear he could be extradited to a third country.

"The details of this agreement have not been disclosed to his legal team, nor the wider public," Mr Schüller added.

"We are very concerned about why the details are being kept confidential. This is very, very worrying.

"There are grave concerns about refusal at the border and indirect refoulment (the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to a country where they are liable to be subjected to persecution) by Turkey of my client."

Mustafa is the son of Abu Hamza - who is serving life without a parole in a US prison

Mustafa - also known as Sufean Mostafa Kamal - travelled to Syria when he was 18 in 2013 and stayed in the country for six years fighting against Bashir al Assad's regime.

The UK government revoked his British citizenship in 2016 - with Mustafa telling the BBC in 2022 it was because the authorities suspected him of engaging in terrorist activity while in Syria.

Mustafa denies taking part in any form of terrorism and insists his role was to help protect the people of Syria.

'Increasingly stressful'

He was detained in Turkey in 2019 and put on a flight to the UK two years later.

It transited in Amsterdam, where he was arrested and sent to the Nieuw Vosseveld high-security prison in Vught.

A legal case ensued, which led to a deal was struck between Turkey and the Netherlands in August last year, according to his lawyers.

Sufyan Mustafa is due to be put on a Turkey-bound flight on Friday, the BBC understands

They fear that once he lands in Turkey he will be detained and then deported to another country.

Mustafa, who was a student in London when he left for Syria, has a wife and two sons living in the capital.

A family member, who asked not to named, told the BBC: "The situation has been increasingly stressful on his family, not knowing where he'll go and what will happen to him. It has caused great distress to his wife and children.

"His son repeatedly asks, 'When will we see Daddy again?'.

"It's a difficult question for them to deal with. It is unfair that the children should suffer like this. All the family wants is a fair trial."

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