British-Pakistani Preacher Anjem Choudary Sentenced to Life for Directing Terrorist Organisation

Anjem Choudary, a British-Pakistani preacher, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for directing the banned terrorist organisation, al-Muhajiroun (ALM). Choudary, 57, must serve a minimum of 28 years before being eligible for parole. The group has been linked to multiple attacks in the UK and abroad.

British-Pakistani preacher Anjem Choudary has received a life sentence for directing the terrorist organisation al-Muhajiroun (ALM), as reported by Al Jazeera. Choudary, aged 57, was convicted last week of leading the group, which was outlawed over a decade ago.

Judge Mark Wall disclosed the sentencing at London's Woolwich Crown Court, stating Choudary must serve at least 28 years before he becomes eligible for parole. Judge Wall asserted that organisations like ALM 'normalize violence in support of an ideological cause' by conducting online gatherings.

'Such organisations embolden individuals to commit acts they might otherwise not attempt, fostering division where peaceful coexistence could prevail,' Judge Wall commented. Prosecutor Tom Little indicated that Choudary took on the role of 'caretaker emir' of ALM following the imprisonment of its leader, Omar Bakri Mohammed, in Lebanon in 2014.

Choudary's attorney, Paul Hynes, countered by describing ALM as 'little more than a shell of an organisation,' asserting that most related attacks had already occurred. Joint investigations by police forces in Britain, the U.S., and Canada gathered evidence indicating Choudary directed ALM via online sessions with participants in New York.

Prosecutors revealed that ALM operated under various names, including the New York-based Islamic Thinkers Society, which Choudary had addressed. New York Deputy Police Commissioner Rebecca Weiner called the case 'historic,' citing the Islamic Thinkers Society as ALM's U.S. branch.

Choudary was found guilty alongside follower Khaled Hussein, a 29-year-old from Edmonton, Canada, convicted of membership in a banned organisation and sentenced to five years in prison. Their arrests occurred a year ago after Hussein arrived at Heathrow Airport.

Choudary had previously been imprisoned in 2016 for promoting support for ISIL (ISIS) and was released after serving half of a five-and-a-half-year sentence. ALM, originating in the late 1990s, has been associated with numerous attacks domestically and internationally, according to Al Jazeera.

(With inputs from agencies.)