LONDON, June 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, arrested on 11 US terror charges in London one week ago, was denied bail by a London court Thursday.

    Judge Timothy Workman said there was a "substantial risk" that the 47-year-old preacher would fail to reappear in court and interfere with witnesses if released on bail.

    James Lewis, a lawyer acting for the US authorities, told the court earlier that an application for bail should be rejected because Hamza might flee to escape the "extremely serious charges"against him.

    Hamza has said he will contest extradition, according to a BBC report.

    The US authorities accused Hamza of being involved in an attackkilling four hostages in Yemen in 1998. Other charges accused him of providing support and resources for terrorists, particularly alQaeda and of setting up a terror training camp in Oregon. He couldface the death penalty or life imprisonment if found guilty in America.

    However, under current British and European laws, Britain must ask the US to pledge they will not apply the death penalty before any possible extradition could get the go-ahead, according to a BBC report.

    It is also likely to be several months before a formal committalhearing at which a district judge will look at the evidence and decide whether it is strong enough for him to be extradited.

    The Egyptian-born cleric, who is one of Britain's best known Islamic radicals, is already at the center of deportation battle with the British Home Office, which wants to remove his UK citizenship gained through marriage in 1981.

    His lawyer has argued that stripping him of citizenship would leave him stateless and would be a breach of his human rights.

    The cleric, who also is wanted in Yemen on charges of orchestrating terrorism there from Britain, denies any involvementin violence and says he is only a spokesman for political causes. Enditem