Lebanese authorities arrest Islamist hate cleric Omar Bakri following life sentence

BEIRUT - A radical Islamist preacher Omar Bakri was arrested on Sunday following a violent stand-off with security forces in Lebanon, days after boasting that he would not spend a day in jail upon being sentenced to life imprisonment for “terrorism” offences.

The 50-year-old hate preacher went on the run last week after being convicted of inciting murder and possessing explosives by a military court in Lebanon, the Sun reports.

Security forces have confirmed that the fundamentalist preacher had tried to escape his arrest. After his arrest, he was reportedly transferred to Beirut.

Bakri lived in Britain for 20 years but left after the 7/7 London bombings and was banned from returning.

The Syrian’s right-hand man Anjem Choudary said: “I spoke to him on Saturday and he did not expect to be arrested.” (ANI)