Wife of hate preacher Choudary is spared probe for backing IS
POLICE have dropped a terror investigation into the wife of jailed hate preacher Anjem Choudary ahead of his release from jail.
Rubana Akhtar, 43, faced an inquiry by Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command after being filmed leading a group of British women supporting Islamic State.
The mother of five, who has spent years living on benefits, previously admitted to being the leader of the female wing of Choudary’s banned terror group Al-Muhajiroun.
Akhtar, pictured, was filmed promoting IS by an undercover reporter and abusing ‘filthy Jews’ while her husband was being investigated in 2015. But following an 18-month inquiry police say she has not committed any terror offences.
It comes as Government figures show that one terrorist is being released from jail nearly every week. The Home Office says 46 prisoners held for terror offences were let out between March 2017 and 2018.
The failure of the case against Akhtar follows news that her husband, who inspired a generation of terrorists, is being prepared for release next month after serving half of a 66-month sentence for drumming up support for IS in 2016.
For 20 years he espoused poisonous views with impunity, delivering sermons inspiring beheadings and bomb plots worldwide. He is thought to have helped 110 British jihadists travel to Syria to fight for IS. Five of his followers will also be freed after being convicted of atrocities including plots to blow up the London Stock Exchange.
Choudary’s wife’s role running a secretive Islamic sisterhood remained under wraps until the group was infiltrated by a reporter for Channel 4 Dispatches who spent a year covertly filming their clandestine meetings.
Following the broadcast of the programme in November 2015 police began an investigation but after almost two years officers have dropped the probe. A police spokesman said yesterday: ‘Inquiries found no evidence of terrorism or other offences having been committed.’