LONDON, Aug. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Egyptian-born Muslim cleric Abu Hamza, held last week on suspicion of being involved in terror offenses, has been "de-arrested", Scotland Yard said on Tuesday.

    Hamza was arrested last week at Belmarsh Prison in southeast London, where he was held since May 27 and is already fighting extradition to the United States. The cleric's legal team argue that he will not get a fair hearing if he is extradited to the US.     

    Police had been granted a warrant to question him until Sept. 2.He was held on suspicion of commissioning, preparing or instigating terrorist acts in Britain.

    Authorities had earlier said the arrest was not related to US charges of involvement in a Yemen kidnapping in 1998, which left three Britons dead.

    Other charges include attempting to set up a terrorist trainingcamp in the northwestern US state of Oregon and recruiting for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

    A police spokesman said he was no longer being questioned in connection with the British investigation.

    "It means that at this moment he is no longer under arrest," the spokesman said. "It does not mean that he might not be charged at sometime in the future, but that is not something we can discuss," he added.

    Hamza was banned from preaching at Finsbury Park in north London last year but he continued to address his supporters from the pavement. Enditem