Veteran extremist Anjem Choudary has been found guilty of supporting terrorism on both sides of the Atlantic after a trial in the UK.
British prosecutors had told a London court that Choudary directed the banned group Al Muhajiroun and promoted it through the New York-based Islamic Thinkers Society.
The US society, which prosecutors said was “the same” as Al Muhajiroun, was infiltrated by undercover investigators.
Agents overheard online lectures given by Choudary in 2022 and 2023 using the Element messenger platform, jurors were told.
Choudary was found guilty of directing a terrorist organisation, which he took over in a “caretaker role” while the group's founder Omar Bakri Muhammad was detained in Lebanon a decade ago.
Dominic Murphy, the commander of counter-terrorism at London's Metropolitan Police, said Al Muhajiroun's “tentacles have spread across the world”.
“There are individuals that have conducted terrorist attacks or travelled for terrorist purposes as a result of Anjem Choudary’s radicalising impact upon them,” Mr Murphy said.
Members of Al Muhajiroun have been implicated in several terrorist attacks, including the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby in 2013, the 2017 London Bridge attack, and the 2019 London Bridge stabbing.
The group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in Britain in 2010, although the court heard that it has continued to exist under various names.
Mr Murphy said the verdict was a “significant milestone” due to the rare conviction for directing a terrorist organisation.
He also warned that his counter-terrorism team was seeing more young people in its case files. It was “deeply concerning” to see young boys being part of terrorism investigations, he said.
Khaled Hussein, 29, who prosecutors said was a “follower and dedicated supporter” of Choudary, was also found guilty of membership of Al Muhajiroun.
Choudary was arrested in East London on July 17 last year while Hussein, from Edmonton in Canada, was detained at Heathrow Airport, having arrived on a flight the same day.
In court, Choudary – who was convicted of supporting ISIS in 2016 – denied inviting support to Al Muhajiroun through his lectures because the group “didn’t exist”.
Filling the void
However, prosecutor Tom Little told Woolwich Crown Court that Choudary had “filled the void” after the group's founder went to prison in Lebanon.
Formed in 1996, the group operated overtly for a number of years and often caused public outcry, for example by praising the 9/11 attacks.
The group “disbanded” in 2005 to avoid being proscribed, but the jury heard secret recordings in which Choudary said it had operated under more than 50 aliases.
Successive home secretaries proscribed 14 different aliases used by the group.
The court heard that Choudary, whose licence conditions expired in July 2021 following his 2018 release from prison, said in lectures that he viewed being called an extremist or fanatic as a “medallion”.
“What became clear after his licence conditions was that he saw the online space as a means of engaging globally with larger groups of people,” Mr Murphy said.
“And what was clear to us was that increasingly there were a larger number of people that were willing to engage with Anjem Choudary online and he was having an influence over those individuals.”
Choudary was convicted of directing a terrorist organisation and addressing meetings to encourage support for a proscribed organisation.
He will be sentenced on July 30 at the same court.
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.