Radical preacher Anjem Choudary fails to overturn life sentence
Controversial Islamist firebrand Anjem Choudary has suffered a huge legal blow after the Court of Appeal rejected his bid to overturn a life sentence for leading a banned terror group. The 59-year-old extremist, infamous for radicalising killers including Lee Rigby’s murderers, was jailed for life in 2024 with a minimum 28-year tariff – and the judges have firmly backed that decision.
Judges Slam Choudary’s Appeal as “Unarguable”
Lord Justice Edis and his panel dismissed Choudary’s appeal outright, calling it “unarguable.” They described his crimes as of “exceptional gravity, persistence and duration,” leaving no hope for early release.
Co-defendant Khaled Hussein, 31, who was handed five years plus a licence period for supporting the terror group Al-Muhajiroun (ALM), also saw his appeal crushed. Judges made clear Hussein was “actively supporting” ALM’s extremist agenda, not an innocent bystander.
Al-Muhajiroun: The Terror Group’s Dark Legacy
- Founded in the late 1990s, ALM was banned in the UK in 2010 but continued under aliases like the Saved Sect.
- Omar Bakri Muhammad, ALM’s original leader, fled to Lebanon in 2005, handing control to Choudary.
- ALM has links to at least 16 terror plots, and members have fought for ISIS in Syria.
- Notorious extremist Siddhartha Dhar appeared in a chilling ISIS execution video in 2016.
Choudary’s Toxic Trail of Terror
Choudary was closely connected to multiple terrorists, including Lee Rigby’s killers, London Bridge attacker Khuram Butt, and Fishmongers’ Hall bomber Usman Khan.
The preacher once hailed the 9/11 attacks as a “towering day in history,” while his predecessor Bakri praised the 7/7 bombers as the “fantastic four.”
Crown Prosecutor Tom Little KC disclosed Choudary’s attempts to revive ALM after a 2016 jail term. The extremist delivered over 40 radical lectures within a year and groomed kids as young as 14 using encrypted WhatsApp and Telegram chats.
No Chance of Early Release – Choudary to Die in Prison
With his appeal firmly rejected, Choudary’s life sentence remains intact. He won’t be eligible for parole until at least age 85, effectively meaning he will die behind bars.
Justice Mr Wall condemned Choudary’s views as “entrenched and abhorrent to most right-thinking people.” Despite defence claims of an unfair trial, the judges upheld the evidence and sentence as just and necessary.
The British courts have sent a clear message: Anjem Choudary’s poisonous influence will never be tolerated or left unchecked.
