Radical preacher Anjem Choudary has been convicted under UK terrorism laws of leading the banned group Al-Muhajiroun (ALM) and encouraging support for the group through online meetings.
Choudary was found guilty on Tuesday of playing a “gatekeeper role” within ALM after a trial at Woolwich Crown Court.
Prosecutors said he led the group for a significant period after 2014 and also encouraged support for it by participating in online meetings.
ALM was first banned by the Minister of Interior in 2006 under the name Al Ghurabaa. In 2010, ALM was included in the ban under a different name.
Choudary told the jury at his trial that he was one of three founding members of ALM, which was founded in 1996.
The prosecution said he was still acting as a leader until July 2023, giving online speeches to a US-based branch called the Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS).
The conviction follows investigations by the Metropolitan Police, the New York Police Department and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command, said: “The tentacles of ALM have spread across the world and have had a significant impact on public safety.”
Choudary, 57, of Ilford, east London, was arrested on July 17, 2023.
He had previously been jailed in 2016 for encouraging support for the Islamic State group. He told the jury at his trial that after his release he continued to do his best to spread Islam.
One of his supporters, Khaled Hussein, 29, from Edmonton, Canada, was also convicted of membership in the ALM. He was arrested upon arrival at Heathrow Airport, also on July 17.
The two men will be tried on July 30.
