Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary was found guilty Tuesday by a London jury of directing a terrorist group.
Born in the UK to parents of Pakistani descent, Choudary, 56, was convicted in London of directing the banned organization, al-Muhajiroun, or ALM, for a significant period of time from 2014 and for drumming up support for the group.
ALM was outlawed by the British government in 2010 as a group involved in committing, preparing for or promoting terrorism.
Choudary also encouraged support for the group by addressing online meetings of the Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS), the US branch of the group based in New York, prosecutors claimed.
Rebecca Weiner, NYPD deputy commissioner in charge of intelligence and counterterrorism, described Choudary as a “shameless, prolific radicalizer.” She called the case historic.
“It is usually the foot soldiers, the individuals who are brought into the network who go on to commit the attacks who are brought to justice. And it’s rarely the leader, which is what makes this a particularly important moment,” Weiner said.
Choudary, who was detained in east London on July 17 last year, will be sentenced on July 30.
During his trial, the radical British preacher said the ITS does not exist and that al-Muhajiroun organization was dismantled in 2004.
Londonistan
Choudary acted as one of the main representatives of the “Londonistan” circles that emerged in the British capital in the early 2000s.
His followers have been linked to numerous plots across the world.
The man became known to the authorities and the media through the demonstrations he organized in front of mosques, embassies and police stations in the UK.
Choudary said his ultimate goal was to hoist the flag of Islam over the British Prime Minister's office in Downing Street.
In 2016, he was sentenced for five years in prison for inviting support for ISIS and was released early in October 2018 but remained under observation for the remaining period.
