British preacher gets life for leading terrorist group

On July 23, Choudary was sentenced for leading the radical group called Al-Muhajiroun (The Emigrants), which was outlawed as a terrorist organization over ten years ago for encouraging others to support it. The man denied the charges.

In the ruling, the court found that the existence of "Organisations such as yours normalise violence in pursuit of an ideological cause. Their existence gives individuals the courage to commit acts which otherwise they might not do. They drive wedges between people who otherwise could and would live together in peaceful co-existence.".

The judge described Choudary’s views as deep-seated and repulsive to many right-thinking people. He added that Choudary is seen in the eyes of those open to the "message of hate" as "an intelligent and persuasive speaker," and also noted that he possesses "great determination" in pursuing his goals.

Choudary will only be eligible to apply for parole after more than 27 years in prison.

The 57-year-old imam, known as the "sower of hatred," is a trained lawyer. In 2016, he was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for supporting the Islamic State (IS) and calling for allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

After serving half his sentence, he was conditionally released in 2018. The man has been considered for years as one of the most dangerous extremists in Britain.

Many terrorists cited his teachings, including one of the perpetrators responsible for the terrorist attack on London Bridge in June 2017 and two men who murdered soldier Lee Rigby in 2013.

In the past, Choudary refused to condemn those responsible for the London bombings in 2005 and, at the same time, praised the attackers who carried out the attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001. He also advocated for turning Buckingham Palace into a mosque.