A jury in London convicted British preacher Anjem Choudary today, Tuesday, of managing an extremist group. The 57-year-old Choudary was found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of belonging to a banned organization, the Islamic group "Al-Muhajiroun," for which he gathered support. Prosecutors stated that the group operates under various names, including "The Society of Islamic Thought," based in New York, where Choudary has spoken.
Choudary was convicted alongside one of his followers, Khalid Hussain, a 29-year-old from Edmonton, Canada, for belonging to the aforementioned organization. Both were arrested a year ago upon Hussain's arrival at Heathrow Airport, and sentencing is set for July 30 of this year.
According to British media, "the British government banned the group in 2010 due to its involvement in terrorism and its preparation and promotion of it." Choudary had previously been convicted of supporting ISIS, but during the trial, he denied promoting "Al-Muhajiroun" in his lectures, stating that it no longer exists. The "Society of Islamic Thought" was described as a U.S. branch of "Al-Muhajiroun," according to Rebecca Weiner, the Assistant Police Commissioner in New York, who called the case historic.
