A British man accused of raising money through Internet sites in the United States for Islamic militants in Chechnya and Afghanistan was remanded in custody by a British court today on a US extradition warrant.
South Londoner Mr Babar Ahmad (30) appeared at Bow Street magistrates court after being arrested yesterday.
The extradition warrant says he solicited money for "acts of terrorism in Chechnya and Afghanistan" from US-based websites and through e-mails to American citizens.
"I don't want to go," Mr Ahmad told the court after district judge Christopher Pratt asked if he was willing to be extradited. No application for bail was made, and another hearing was set for a week's time.
The US government says he was encouraging Muslims to fight in Afghanistan and had documents on US naval forces in the Gulf in his possession when he was arrested briefly in December.
Then, he was held for six days under anti-terror laws and released without trial.
Mr Ahmad's defence lawyer, Ms Carolina Guiloff, said he was assaulted twice by police at that time, leaving him with soft tissue damage, kidney injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
His official complaint is still under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
The lawyer representing the US government said yesterday the websites gave instructions as to how money could be delivered to Taleban leaders or to Islamic guerrillas fighting Russian forces in Chechnya.
They also told Pakistani nationals in Canada, the United States and Britain how to travel to Afghanistan via Pakistan to fight for the Taleban, she said.