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Six guilty of terrorism support | Six guilty of terrorism support |
(30 minutes later) | |
A man who heckled then Home Secretary John Reid during a speech has been convicted of terrorist fund-raising and inciting terrorism overseas. | A man who heckled then Home Secretary John Reid during a speech has been convicted of terrorist fund-raising and inciting terrorism overseas. |
Muslim preacher Abu Izzadeen was among six men convicted of supporting terrorism in London speeches in 2004. | Muslim preacher Abu Izzadeen was among six men convicted of supporting terrorism in London speeches in 2004. |
The Kingston Crown Court jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge against Izzadeen of encouraging terrorism. | The Kingston Crown Court jury failed to reach a verdict on a charge against Izzadeen of encouraging terrorism. |
Shah Jalal Hussain, guilty of terrorist fund-raising, remains missing after failing to appear at court on 8 April. | Shah Jalal Hussain, guilty of terrorist fund-raising, remains missing after failing to appear at court on 8 April. |
The charges related to speeches made at London's Regent's Park mosque on 9 November 2004, as US troops were engaged in a fierce battle in the Iraqi city of Falluja. | |
'No other weapon' | |
Clips of the eight men speaking about jihad, Osama bin Laden and prejudice towards Muslims were played to the jury during the three-and-a-half month trial. | |
Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw QC told the court: "What occurred was that these eight men delivered or contributed to a series of speeches and appeals for money, and in the case of five of the defendants, for volunteers to join in the fight against coalition troops. | |
"The speeches became progressively more emotive and inflammatory and insulting in their tone." | |
The court heard that Izzadeen, of Leytonstone, east London, told his audience: "Allah gave mujahideen chance to kill the American." | |
But the 32-year-old, tried under the name Omar Brooks, argued in court that he and other British Muslims had "no other weapon than our tongue" to fight against what they saw as a "massacre" by British and American forces in the city. | |
Izzadeen told the jury that asking people to support terrorist organisations was illegal and he had never done so. | |
The eight defendants denied all charges against them. | The eight defendants denied all charges against them. |
Six convicted | Six convicted |
Also found guilty of terrorist fund-raising were Simon Keeler and Abdul Muhid, 25, both of Whitechapel, east London. | Also found guilty of terrorist fund-raising were Simon Keeler and Abdul Muhid, 25, both of Whitechapel, east London. |
There were not guilty verdicts on the same charge against Abdul Saleem, 32, Rajib Khan, 29, and Ibrahim Hassan, 25, while the jury could not reach a verdict for 28-year-old Omar Zaheer, of Southall, west London. | There were not guilty verdicts on the same charge against Abdul Saleem, 32, Rajib Khan, 29, and Ibrahim Hassan, 25, while the jury could not reach a verdict for 28-year-old Omar Zaheer, of Southall, west London. |
Saleem, of Poplar, east London, and Hassan, of Leyton, east London, were found guilty along with Izzadeen and Keeler of inciting terrorism overseas. | Saleem, of Poplar, east London, and Hassan, of Leyton, east London, were found guilty along with Izzadeen and Keeler of inciting terrorism overseas. |
The jury could not reach a verdict on that charge against Mr Khan, of Luton, Bedfordshire. | The jury could not reach a verdict on that charge against Mr Khan, of Luton, Bedfordshire. |
A warrant has been issued for the arrest of missing Hussain, 25, of Whitechapel. | A warrant has been issued for the arrest of missing Hussain, 25, of Whitechapel. |
Izzadeen hit the news in 2006 for heckling as Home Secretary John Reid delivered a speech, in Leytonstone, about targeting potential Muslim extremists. |