UK radical preacher jailed over support for Daesh

LONDON

Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary has been jailed for five years and six months for swearing an oath of allegiance to Daesh.

The 49-year-old was already notorious in the U.K. for being a leading member of the banned al-Muhajiroun organization.

He was convicted six weeks ago of rallying support for the terror group between June 2014 and March 2015.

Choudary’s supporters in the courtroom shouted “Allahu Akbar”, Arabic for “God is Great”, as his sentenced was announced on Tuesday afternoon.

His associate Mohammed Mizanur Rahman received an identical 5.5-year sentence on the same charges.

During the trial U.K. prosecutors had argued Choudary and Rahman were “acutely aware” that being overtly supportive of Daesh could have criminal implications under British law.

Sentencing the pair, Judge Timothy Holroyde said they were dangerous and had not shown remorse.

“You did nothing to condemn any aspect of what ISIS [Daesh] was doing at the time,” he told Choudary.

“In that way you indirectly encouraged violent terrorist activity.”

Choudary’s defense lawyer told the court he expected to be kept in solitary confinement for the majority of his sentence, the Daily Mail reported.