‘IS propagandist’ jailed for 12 years

COURT: CCTV operative Asim Majid, 30, from Bradford, who disseminated terrorist videos online was told by a judge that he had acted as a “propagandist for Islamic State” as he was jailed for 12 years.

A CCTV operative from Yorkshire who disseminated terrorist videos online was told by a judge that he had acted as a “propagandist for Islamic State” as he was jailed for 12 years.

Asim Majid, 30, from Bradford, possessed and shared graphic films including videos which depicted suicide bombings, guidance on how to use a knife to kill, and images of dead soldiers, some of which were shared among a group of “trusted contacts”.

Leeds Crown Court heard how the material was designed to inspire others to “fight for the cause of Islamic State”.

Prosecutors told how the father-of-one owned a publication, entitled How To Survive

In The West, which promised to teach readers “how to be a secret agent who lives a double life, something which Muslims will have to do to survive in the coming years”.

Following a two-week trial, Majid, of Cranbourne Road in Bradford, was convicted of two counts of possessing documents likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, as well as eight counts of disseminating terrorist publications.

He was also found guilty by a jury of a single charge of transferring money knowing that it may be used for terrorism.

The court heard how Majid sent £280 to a contact in Pakistan earlier this year, and although the purpose of funding was still “shrouded in mystery”, the recipient came to own an AK47, which was a weapon he had discussed with the defendant.

Sentencing Majid yesterday, Judge Tom Bayliss told the defendant: “You lived to all outward purposes what was a very normal life. Those who knew you, including your wife, could have had little idea of what you harboured within you.

“You were undoubtedly a man with strong terrorist sympathies.

“What you were doing was acting as a propagandist for Islamic State and I have no doubt that you intended that people would look at that material, and that they would be inspired to fight for the cause of Islamic State.”

The judge added: “You knew perfectly well what you were doing, and you knew perfectly well the devastating impact that your actions might have had.”

During the trial, prosecutor Simon Davis had told jurors that Majid had “seemingly been living and working a normal life in Bradford”.

However, Mr Davis told the court that the defendant was in fact “actively engaged” in disseminating, sharing and spreading weblinks to videos which were posted on the internet as part of the campaign to inspire membership of the so-called Isalmic State, which is also known as Daesh.

The prosecutor explained how one of the films which Majid owned was “particularly graphic and gruesome”, providing guidance on how to stab, cut and kill enemies, using an actual human as a demonstration.

Mr Davis added that the video went on to demonstrate how to make a bomb, while another film depicted “fighters engaged in martyrdom”.

Frida Hussain, defending, told the court how Majid’s family had been adversely affected by his actions, and added that the defendant had simply copy and pasted links to the material he was sharing, arguing that he may have been unaware of how graphic some of the content actually was.

You were undoubtedly a man with strong terrorist sympathies.

Judge Tom Bayliss, sentencing Asim Majid.