A judge at Woolwich Crown Court in London on Tuesday sentenced notorious radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 28 years, after he was convicted of leading a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Judge Mark Wall sentenced the 57-year-old former lawyer to over 26 years in prison for his prominent role in the banned group, describing him as being ‘front and centre’ in its operations.
The sentencing followed a joint investigation by law enforcement agencies from the UK, US, and Canada, including the Metropolitan Police, New York Police Department, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Due to time already served in custody, the individual will not be eligible for release until after the age of 85, as reported by the Manchester Times.
Explaining why he ordered the lengthy term, the judge added that Choudary had “encouraged young men into radical activity”.
Long in the authorities’ sights, Choudary has already spent time in jail for supporting the jihadist Islamic State group.
His return to prison comes after a jury last week convicted him of being the “caretaker” leader of Al-Muhajiroun (ALM), which was proscribed in the UK in 2010.
Al-Muhajiroun, a group founded in 1996 by Syrian-born cleric Omar Bakri Muhammad, aimed to establish an Islamic caliphate in the UK.
The group has been linked to several attacks, including the 2013 murder of British soldier Lee Rigby and attacks on London Bridge in 2017 and 2019. Although it was believed to be disbanded, prosecutors claim the group continues to operate under different names, such as the New York-based Islamic Thinkers Society.
In 2022 and 2023, US law enforcement infiltrated the group by attending online lectures featuring Anjem Choudary, leading to police investigations in the UK and Canada.
“There are individuals that have conducted terrorist attacks or travelled for terrorist purposes as a result of Anjem Choudary’s radicalising impact upon them,” Dominic Murphy, of London’s Metropolitan Police, said after the conviction.
