The ringleader of a grooming gang in Rochdale, UK, convicted for 30 rapes, is challenging his impending deportation from the UK by appealling to the European the European Court of Human Rights, the Daily Mail reported. Although he appealed to that court to overturn his convictions, that does not mean European judges will hear his case.

UK Home Secretary Theresa May decided to strip him of his citizenship and deport him because of his crimes. He was sentenced to a 19 years for sexual offences including rape and another concurrent 22-year sentence for 30 rapes against another victim.

Shabir Ahmed, 63, is also appealing to the UK based First Tier Immigration Tribunal at Manchester Crown Court against the decision by May to strip him of his British citizenship. He retains Pakistani nationality since he was born in Gujrat and came to the UK aged 14.

He claimed his multiple convictions for sexual offences against children were motivated by a conspiracy to “scapegoat” Muslims, telling the court “It's become fashionable to blame everything on Muslims these days.”

Yet the Rochdale grooming gang evaded prosecution for a long time since police and social workers failed to act as they were “petrified of being called racist” in the words of former Labour MP Ann Cryer.

Three other men facing deportation will see their cases decided by the same court, which consists of three judges.

View a report on the case: