Radical Preacher Anjem Choudary Convicted Again in UK

Anjem Choudary speaks at a rally outside London's Regents Park mosque in April 2015 (AP)
Anjem Choudary speaks at a rally outside London's Regents Park mosque in April 2015 (AP)
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Radical Preacher Anjem Choudary Convicted Again in UK

Anjem Choudary speaks at a rally outside London's Regents Park mosque in April 2015 (AP)
Anjem Choudary speaks at a rally outside London's Regents Park mosque in April 2015 (AP)

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.



Greek PM: Only US Can Engage Israel and Iran in Discussions

FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
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Greek PM: Only US Can Engage Israel and Iran in Discussions

FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
FILE - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis speaks in parliament ahead of the submission of a no-confidence motion by opposition parties over the government's handling of Greece's worst rail disaster two year ago, in Athens, Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

Only the United States has the clout to engage Israel and Iran in negotiations as the two countries continue to trade air attacks, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday.

"Europe alone does not have the necessary influence to bring the parties concerned to the (negotiation) table. Only the United States can do that. So I think it is up to the President of the United States to decide which path to take," Mitsotakis said in an interview on the sidelines of an energy conference in Athens.

The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

"We are all very concerned about any factor that will push inflation up and significantly disrupt energy markets," Mitsotakis said.

He said Greece was also very worried about the safety of around 180 Greek-flagged and Greek-owned ships that sailed in the wider Arabian Gulf region when Israel first attacked Iran last week.

Greek owners control the world's largest fleet of oil tankers. Commercial ships are being advised by maritime agencies to avoid Iran's waters around the Strait of Hormuz, shipping sources said on Wednesday.