Notorious hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of directing the banned terrorist organization Al-Muhajiroun. The 59-year-old was found guilty of running the group in a “caretaker role” following the imprisonment of its founder, Omar Bakri Muhammad, in Lebanon in 2014.
Choudary, who had previously evaded authorities by staying within the limits of the law, was convicted of three terror charges earlier this month following a joint operation between US, UK, and Canadian forces. He had been jailed from 2016 to 2018 for encouraging support for ISIS but returned to giving lectures to his supporters once his license conditions expired in 2021.
A meticulous investigation revealed that Choudary was delivering online lectures, often on encrypted platforms, to the Islamic Thinkers Society, a group based in the US. This group was identified as a branch of Al-Muhajiroun, using various cover names to avoid detection.
Choudary’s downfall came through the infiltration of his network by undercover officers. Key to the investigation was Khaled Hussein, 29, a Canadian who acted as Choudary’s “personal assistant” within the group. Hussein was arrested after flying to London last July, and Choudary was detained at his home in Ilford, East London, during a dawn raid.
During the trial, Choudary insisted that Al-Muhajiroun had disbanded, but prosecutors demonstrated that it had continued under different aliases, including the Islamic Thinkers Society. The court heard recordings of Choudary maintaining his extremist views and justifying violence in the name of Islam.
Al-Muhajiroun, founded by Omar Bakri Mohammed in 1996, was linked to several high-profile terrorist incidents in the UK, including the 2017 Borough Market and London Bridge attacks and the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013. Choudary’s influence extended to numerous young Muslims in Britain, many of whom participated in public demonstrations calling for an end to secularism and democracy.
The conviction and sentencing of Anjem Choudary mark a significant victory in the fight against terrorism, with authorities emphasizing the importance of vigilance and cooperation across borders to dismantle extremist networks.
