Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary found guilty of leading terrorist organization | Al-Muhajiroun

Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has been convicted of leading the al-Muhajiroun (ALM) terrorist group and generating cross-border online support for the banned organisation.

After a trial at Woolwich Crown Court in south London, Choudary was found guilty of playing a “gatekeeper role” in the management of ALM.

Prosecutors said Choudary led the terrorist organization for a significant period starting in 2014 and encouraged support for the group by speaking at online meetings of the New York-based Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS).

The 57-year-old, from Ilford, east London, gave lectures at the ITS, which prosecutors said was “the same” as ALM.

Choudary has become a prominent extremist in the UK through his media appearances and controversial actions, such as protests at the funerals of British soldiers. Security experts have claimed Choudary has influenced dozens of British jihadists.

But the veteran lawyer’s apparent ability to act within the bounds of the law ended in 2016 when he was convicted of supporting Islamic State and served half of a six-month prison sentence before being released on bail.

Choudary’s license terms expired in July 2021, and it was almost a year later, in June 2022, that he hosted his first online conference for ITS. He went on to give about 40 talks or courses for the group through April 2023.

But unbeknownst to Choudary, the ITS was infiltrated by undercover law enforcement agents in the United States, who were present at online conferences in 2022 and 2023, hosted on the messaging platform Element.

ALM was declared a terrorist organisation in the UK in 2010, although the court said the group had continued to exist under different names.

The conviction follows investigations by the Metropolitan Police, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command, said: “Some individuals have carried out terrorist attacks or travelled for terrorist purposes because of the radicalising impact of Anjem Choudary on them.”

At a press conference, Murphy added: “ALM’s tentacles have spread around the world and have had a significant impact on public safety.”

NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner called it a “landmark case,” describing Choudary as a “brazen and prolific radicalizer.”

She added: “It is usually the foot soldiers, the individuals who are integrated into the network and who then commit the attacks, who are brought to justice.

“And it’s rarely the leader, which makes this moment particularly important.”

Omar Bakri Muhammad, ALM’s founder, was in prison in Lebanon between 2014 and March 2023, and Choudary stepped in and “filled the void”, the court heard.

Khaled Hussein, 29, who prosecutors said was a “supporter and strong supporter” of Choudary, was also convicted of membership in the ALM.

Choudary was convicted of leading a terrorist organization and speaking at meetings to encourage support for a banned organization. He and Hussein will go on trial on July 30.