On Tuesday, Anjem Choudary, a well-known British radical Islamist preacher, was sentenced to life imprisonment for directing a terrorist organization. Choudary, who is 57 years old, was found guilty last week of leading al-Muhajiroun, a group that was banned more than ten years ago. The court also convicted him of encouraging others to support this outlawed group.
Judge Mark Wall, who delivered the sentence at London’s Woolwich Crown Court, criticized Choudary’s actions. He stated that organizations like al-Muhajiroun normalize violence to support their ideological goals. According to Judge Wall, such organizations embolden individuals to commit violent acts that they might otherwise avoid. He also emphasized that these groups create divisions among people who could otherwise live peacefully together.
Choudary was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years before he can be considered for parole. This sentence takes into account the time he has already spent in custody since his arrest a little over a year ago.
Choudary was once a prominent figure in the UK, known for his controversial views and statements. He had previously been imprisoned in 2016 for encouraging support for the Islamic State. He served half of his five-and-a-half-year sentence before being released in 2018. In addition to his extremist views, Choudary had attracted attention for his remarks praising the September 11 attacks and his desire to turn Buckingham Palace into a mosque.
The court heard that Choudary took over as the leader, or “caretaker emir,” of al-Muhajiroun after Omar Bakri Mohammed, another radical preacher, was jailed in Lebanon in 2014. Choudary’s role involved promoting the group’s extremist agenda and recruiting members to support its violent causes.
During the trial, Choudary’s defense lawyer, Paul Hynes, argued that al-Muhajiroun had become nearly inactive and that most of the group’s terrorist activities had already occurred. However, Judge Wall dismissed this argument, stating that al-Muhajiroun remained a dangerous organization dedicated to imposing sharia law through violent means.
Choudary was tried alongside Khaled Hussein, a 29-year-old Canadian who was arrested on the same day as Choudary in 2023 when he arrived at Heathrow Airport. Hussein was found guilty of being a member of the proscribed organization and was sentenced to five years in prison.
This sentencing marks a significant moment in the fight against radical extremism in the UK, reflecting the legal system’s commitment to tackling violent ideologies and their leaders.
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