Hate preacher is branded ‘coward’ as he is whisked out of jail at 4am
HATE preacher Anjem Choudary was today branded “pathetic” and “a sad individual” as he was released from London’s highest security prison under cover of darkness.
T h e 5 1-ye a r- o l d r a d i c a l i s e r w a s whisked out of Belmarsh jail at around 4am in a convoy of unmarked police vehicles to a north London bail hostel, arriving at 6.29am. Wearing Adidas trainers, Choudary was escorted by three police officers as he walked up the front steps of the six-storey hostel, close to shops and schools. He was in a grey cardigan, over a long white robe, and had a long grey beard. A plainclothes officer later took three black bags containing Choudary’s belongings from the boot of a car.
His release — after serving half of the five-and-a-half year sentence imposed in 2016 for urging support for Islamic State — came despite a warning from prisons minister Rory Stewart that he re ma i n s a “genuinely dangerous person”. Today, however, Sir Mark Rowley, Britain’s most senior counterterrorism police officer until earlier this year, poured scorn on Choudary as he backed Whitehall sources who have described him as a “shameless coward” unwilling to fight himself.
Sir Mark said that although it had been “good to put him in prison”, it was important to recognise Choudary’s true nature.
He added: “At the end of the day, he’s a pathetic groomer of others, that’s what he’s done in the past. He’s not some sort of evil genius we all need to be afraid of. We have to recognise that radicalisers look to generate a profile, they look to prey on the vulnerable, and we need to be thoughtful about how we report their activity.”
Choudary, who police have blamed for radicalising many of Britain’s worst terrorists during a decades-long career of extremist preaching, will have to comply with 25 conditions designed to prevent him from inciting further violence. They include a ban on going beyond the M25 and a bar on using any internet-enabled device without permission. He will be allowed one mobile phone, subject to police examination.
He will also be banned from any preaching or radicalising activity and will not be allowed to organise meetings, is barred from going to certain mosques and is not allowed to go to St Pancras or City Airport to stop him fleeing abroad. Any breach of the conditions, which could last until 2021, will allow him to be put back into prison.
Prime Minister Theresa May said last night that “well-rehearsed plans are put in place to keep the public safe” whenever extremists such as Choudary are released. Terrorists radicalised by Choudary and associates include London Bridge killer Khuram Butt and the murderers of Fusilier Lee Rigby.