Anjem Choudary gets life sentence for directing terrorist organisation

No more than he deserves, or was expected. From The Guardian

The Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years after being found guilty of running a banned terrorist organisation.

Choudary, who counter-terrorism police say has had a “radicalising impact” on terrorists, was convicted last week of taking a “caretaker role” in directing al-Muhajiroun (ALM) while its founder was in jail.

He was also found guilty of encouraging support for it through online lectures to the Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS), based in New York City, which prosecutors said was another name for ALM.

It came after an investigation by the Metropolitan police, the New York police department (NYPD) and the Royal Canadian mounted police.

Choudary will spend more than 26 years behind bars in total because of the time he has already spent in custody, meaning he will not be eligible for release before the age of 85, the judge said.

Sentencing at Woolwich crown court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Wall told Choudary he was “front and centre in running a terrorist organisation”.

The judge added that he “encouraged young men into radical activity”.

He said: “These are offences which cause the risk of significant loss of life.” He went on: “Organisations such as yours normalise violence in the pursuit of an ideological cause. Their existence give individuals who are members of them the courage to commit acts that otherwise they might not do. They drive a wedge between people who would and could live together in peaceful coexistence.”

Omar Bakri Muhammad, who founded ALM, was in prison in Lebanon between 2014 and March 2023, and Choudary stepped in and “filled the void”, Little said. In 2016, Choudary was convicted and jailed for five-and-a-half years for supporting Islamic State.

The court heard that Choudary, whose licence conditions expired in July 2021 after his 2018 release from prison, said he viewed being called an extremist or fanatic as a “medallion” during lectures.

 Khaled Hussein, 29, was jailed for five years with an extra year on licence for membership of ALM.