LONDON, Oct 19: Muslim religious leader Abu Hamza al-Masri was charged by a British court on Tuesday with 16 offences including incitement to murder Jews, bypassing a request from the United States for him to face trial there on terrorism-related allegations.

"Extradition proceedings will be adjourned until the British case is dealt with, whether the charges are dropped or a trial takes place," a spokesman for the British government said.

Hamza, 47, an Egyptian-born British national, was charged at high-security Belmarsh Magistrates Court in southeast London with 10 counts of "soliciting murder".

This little-used charge, covered by an 1861 criminal law, relates to inciting others to murder unspecified people.

In Hamza's case it relates to alleged incitement by the cleric at public meetings to kill non-Muslims, specifically Jews, according to several of the charges.-AFP