Controversial Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has struck out in his attempt to overturn a life sentence for leading a banned terror group. The 59-year-old extremist, notorious for radicalising killers including Lee Rigby’s murderers, was handed a life term in 2024 with a minimum of 28 years behind bars – and now the Court of Appeal has backed that decision.
Judges Call Choudary’s Appeal “Unarguable”
Lord Justice Edis and his two colleagues dismissed the appeal, branding it “unarguable” and affirming the original sentence. They described Choudary’s crimes as of “exceptional gravity, persistence and duration.”
Co-defendant Khaled Hussein, 31, who received five years plus a licence period for his role in the terror group Al-Muhajiroun (ALM), also lost his appeal. Judges ruled Hussein was actively supporting ALM’s extremist agenda, not an innocent bystander.
Al-Muhajiroun: A Terror Group’s Dark Shadow
- Founded in the late 1990s, ALM was banned in the UK in 2010 but kept operating under different names like the Saved Sect.
- Omar Bakri Muhammad, the original leader, fled to Lebanon in 2005, leaving Choudary in charge.
- ALM is linked to at least 16 terror plots and members have fought for ISIS in Syria.
- Notorious henchman Siddhartha Dhar featured in an ISIS execution video in 2016.
Choudary’s Toxic Legacy of Radicalisation
Choudary was closely tied to terror figures, including Lee Rigby’s killers, London Bridge attacker Khuram Butt, and Fishmongers’ Hall terrorist Usman Khan.
The firebrand once praised the 9/11 attacks as a “towering day in history,” while his predecessor Bakri called the 7/7 bombers the “fantastic four.”
Crown Prosecutor Tom Little KC revealed Choudary tried to resurrect ALM after a 2016 jail stint, delivering over 40 extremist lectures in 12 months and grooming kids as young as 14 through encrypted WhatsApp and Telegram chats.
No Early Release for Choudary
With the appeal rejected, Choudary’s life sentence stands firm. He won’t be eligible for parole until he’s at least 85 – meaning he’s likely to die behind bars.
Justice Mr Wall condemned Choudary’s views as “entrenched and abhorrent to most right-thinking people.”
Despite defence claims that the trial was unfair due to links with unrelated terror acts, judges found the evidence solid and the sentence just.
The British courts have made it clear: Anjem Choudary’s dangerous influence will not be tolerated or left unchecked.
