Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel has been arrested in London, his lawyer told Xinhua early Wednesday.

According to Zahi Nugedat, the lawyer, London Police arrested Salah overnight Tuesday after a warrant for his deportation was issued. Salah had given a lecture in Leicester and was due to deliver another address as a guest of the Palestinian British solidarity.

It was not clear at the moment why Salah was arrested, but Nugedat said that the British authorities were preparing to deport him after strong pressure from a Jewish lobby in UK.

Salah appeared at Conway Hall in London Tuesday night to give a talk on the recent popular protests in Arab countries and the effect on the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. The event was sponsored by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the Islamic Forum of Europe and Middle East Monitor.