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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Two British men jailed after Syria terror trip | Two British men jailed after Syria terror trip |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two British men who went to Syria to join rebel fighters have been jailed for 12 years and eight months each. | Two British men who went to Syria to join rebel fighters have been jailed for 12 years and eight months each. |
| Yusuf Sarwar and Mohammed Ahmed, both aged 22 and from Birmingham, were sentenced for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. | Yusuf Sarwar and Mohammed Ahmed, both aged 22 and from Birmingham, were sentenced for engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts. |
| The judge imposed an extended licence period of five years. | The judge imposed an extended licence period of five years. |
| Sentencing the pair, Judge Michael Topolski described them as "deeply committed to violent extremism". | Sentencing the pair, Judge Michael Topolski described them as "deeply committed to violent extremism". |
| He said they had "willingly, enthusiastically and with a great deal of purpose, persistence and determination embarked on a course intended to commit acts of terrorism". | |
| "It's with no enthusiasm the court sentences young men to significant terms of imprisonment. A grave crime has been committed," he added. | |
| The two men were arrested by West Midlands Police's counter-terrorism unit at Heathrow Airport on their return to the UK in January. | The two men were arrested by West Midlands Police's counter-terrorism unit at Heathrow Airport on their return to the UK in January. |
| Both men pleaded guilty to to terrorism charges at Woolwich Crown Court in London in July. | Both men pleaded guilty to to terrorism charges at Woolwich Crown Court in London in July. |
| West Midlands Police said they were first alerted to the case when Sarwar's parents reported him missing last year. | West Midlands Police said they were first alerted to the case when Sarwar's parents reported him missing last year. |
| The two friends travelled to Syria in May 2013, where they are believed to have spent eight months with the al-Nusra Front, which is a jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda. | The two friends travelled to Syria in May 2013, where they are believed to have spent eight months with the al-Nusra Front, which is a jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda. |
| Before leaving the UK, Sarwar faked documents to convince his family he was travelling to Turkey as part of a two-week trip organised by Birmingham City University, where he was a student. | Before leaving the UK, Sarwar faked documents to convince his family he was travelling to Turkey as part of a two-week trip organised by Birmingham City University, where he was a student. |
| 'Do jihad' | |
| Ahmed told his family he was going on holiday with Sarwar. | |
| But Sarwar's parents found a six-page letter in which their son admitted he had gone "to do jihad" in Syria. | |
| He also left instructions to cancel his mobile phone contract and money to settle outstanding debts. | |
| Prosecutor Brian Altman QC told the court at their plea hearing: "Sarwar was not expecting to return to his family and that is because he hoped to die as a martyr." | |
| Police said Ahmed, an unemployed former postal worker, had had "sought advice from a fighter in Syria and from extremists in Denmark and Sweden". | |
| 'Look at 7/7' | |
| A man living in Denmark, calling himself Abu Usama al-Mujahid, had told him: "You can be a mujahid [fighter] wherever in the world you are. Look at 7/7 from your country." | |
| The men bought one-way tickets to Turkey then crossed the border to Syria. | |
| Traces of military-grade explosives were found on their clothing and pictures on their camera showed them brandishing weapons. | |
| Detectives used satellite imaging to establish from the photographs that the men had been in and around Aleppo - one of the main conflict zones. |