A London court has sentenced British radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 28 years for directing a terrorist organization.
Choudary, the leader of the banned group al-Muhajiroun, will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. The court has decreed that he will not be eligible for parole until he is over 85 years old.
The sentencing came after Choudary was convicted last week of leading al-Muhajiroun, a group banned over a decade ago, and inciting others to support it. The group had continued its activities online despite being outlawed.
Choudary, 57, appeared shocked as he received the minimum term at Woolwich Crown Court. The court’s decision followed an extensive international investigation involving US, Canadian, and UK authorities.
Mr. Justice Wall criticized Choudary’s radical organization for seeking to impose sharia law through violence globally. He noted that al-Muhajiroun, despite its ban, remained active and attempted to recruit followers in North America under a different name.
Founded in the late 1990s, al-Muhajiroun has been linked to numerous terrorist activities. Choudary, who assumed leadership of the group in 2014, had previously served five and a half years in prison for promoting support for Islamic State fighters in Syria. Upon release, he resumed his activities, conducting online lectures monitored by undercover security officers.
During about 30 lectures, Choudary was found to incite violence and radical views under the pretense of discussing Islamic theology. Mr. Justice Wall condemned Choudary’s actions, describing them as contributing to a culture of violence for ideological purposes.
The judge also highlighted the damaging impact of Choudary’s teachings, which influenced individuals such as Siddhartha Dhar, who joined the Islamic State in Syria, and the Birmingham brothers, who were jailed in 2023 for planning to join the Islamic State in Afghanistan.
The judge expressed skepticism about Choudary’s potential for rehabilitation, stating that he could not foresee a time when Choudary would no longer be a danger.
Choudary’s co-defendant, Canadian Khaled Hussein, received a five-year prison sentence with an additional year of supervised release. Defense counsel Paul Hynes KC argued that, despite the jury’s verdict, al-Muhajiroun’s activities were more theological than impactful compared to groups like al-Qaeda or Islamic State.
