Radical British Preacher Anjem Choudary Sentenced to Life for Directing Terrorist Organization

Choudary’s life sentence includes a minimum term of 28 years before eligibility for parole.

London: Anjem Choudary, the notorious British Muslim preacher, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for directing a terrorist organization. Choudary, 57, was convicted last week for his role in leading al-Muhajiroun (ALM), a group banned as a terrorist organization over a decade ago.

In a decisive ruling at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Mark Wall underscored the gravity of Choudary’s actions. “Organisations such as ALM normalize violence in support of an ideological cause through online meetings,” Judge Wall stated. “Their existence gives individuals who are members of them the courage to commit acts which otherwise they might not do. They drive wedges between people who otherwise could and would live together in peaceful coexistence.“

Anjem Choudary’s life sentence includes a minimum term of 28 years before eligibility for parole. This stringent punishment reflects the court’s recognition of the severe threat posed by ALM’s activities under Choudary’s leadership.

Prosecutor Tom Little described Choudary as the “caretaker emir” of ALM following the imprisonment of its leader Omar Bakri Mohammed in Lebanon in 2014. Little depicted Choudary’s mindset as “warped and twisted,” highlighting his role in perpetuating ALM’s radical agenda.

Despite Choudary’s lawyer, Paul Hynes, arguing that ALM was “little more than a husk of an organisation” with most of its linked attacks having already occurred, the court found compelling evidence of ongoing operations. A joint investigation by police forces in Britain, the United States, and Canada revealed that Choudary directed ALM through online lectures with followers based as far as New York.

The Islamic Thinkers Society, a New York-based group identified as ALM’s U.S. branch, was among those Choudary communicated with. New York Deputy Police Commissioner Rebecca Weiner hailed the case as historic, emphasizing the significance of the international cooperation that led to Choudary’s conviction.

Choudary was convicted alongside Khaled Hussein, a 29-year-old Canadian from Edmonton, who was found guilty of membership in a proscribed organization and sentenced to five years in prison. Hussein’s arrest at Heathrow Airport a year ago, along with Choudary’s subsequent apprehension, marked a significant breakthrough in the fight against ALM’s radical influence.

Choudary’s criminal history includes a 2016 imprisonment for encouraging support for ISIL (ISIS), from which he was released in 2018 after serving half of a five-and-a-half-year sentence. The radical preacher’s persistent advocacy for extremist ideologies has long been a thorn in the side of British authorities.

Emerging in the late 1990s, ALM has been linked to numerous attacks both in the UK and abroad. Its proscription in 2010 by the British government was a response to its involvement in committing, preparing for, or promoting terrorism.

Justice Mark Wall’s sentencing remarks encapsulated the broader societal impact of Choudary’s actions, emphasizing the critical need to curb the spread of violent extremism. As Choudary begins his life sentence, the case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in combating radicalization and terrorism.