Breaking: British Cleric Anjem Choudary Convicted Of Supporting ISIS, Faces 10yrs In Prison

 

Anjem Choudary, the leader of the dissolved militant group al-Muhajiroun © Stephen Hird / Reuters

Britain’s most high-profile radical preacher Anjem Choudary was today, Tuesday, August 16, 2016, convicted of supporting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL).

The 49-year-old faces no fewer than ten years in prison for the crime he was found guilty of, following years of speculation suggesting he was a supporter of the jihadist group.

Choudary was convicted at the Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey  which is located in London, the capital of England.

Speaking during the trial, Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said:  “The prosecution case is that whichever name is used, the evidence is quite clear: when these defendants were inviting support for an Islamic state or caliphate they were referring to the one declared in Syria and its environs by Ibrahim [Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi at the end of June 2014.

“Terrorist organizations thrive and grow because people support them and that is what this case is about. Do not confuse that with the right of people to follow the religion of their choice or to proclaim support for a caliphate,” he added.

Meanwhile the accused, denied he had canvassed for support for IS and told the court he was a “lecturer in sharia law” who offered an “Islamic perspective.”

Furthermore, Choudary has historical links to proscribed Islamist groups al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK.