WOOLWICH—A radical Islamist preacher’s wife warned him about inviting people he did not know to listen in on online speeches, unaware two undercover U.S. law enforcement officers were recording the lectures, a trial has been told.
A jury at Woolwich Crown Court was played an audio clip from a covert recording device which was placed in the London home of Anjem Choudary, who is accused of running a proscribed terrorist organisation, al-Muhajiroun (ALM), after his release from jail after being convicted of supporting the ISIS terrorist group.
Mr. Choudary, 57, denies being a member of a proscribed organisation and addressing meetings to encourage support for the group. He also denies directing a terrorist organisation.
His co-defendant, Khaled Hussein, 29, from Edmonton, Canada, has denied membership of ALM.
Prosecutor Tom Little, KC, told the jury on Thursday, Mr. Choudary “filled the void” at the top of ALM while the group’s “spiritual leader,” Omar Bakri Mohammed, was in prison in Lebanon between 2014 and March 2023.
Mr. Choudary was released from prison in relation to the ISIS offence on Oct. 19, 2018 and was on licence until July 18, 2021.
Bug Recorded Conversation
On Friday, Mr. Little told the court the covert listening device picked up an illuminating conversation between Mr. Choudary and his wife, Rubana Akhtar, on March 9, 2023.A clip of the conversation was played to the jury and Mr. Little explained to them the context.
He said they were discussing Anjem Choudary’s connections in America, his lectures and speeches to ITS, which were carried on a Telegram channel.
Mr. Little said Mr. Choudary’s wife can be heard to express concern and says to him, “they are al-Muhajiroun” and he replies, “But I don’t say anything dodgy” and adds, “I’m very careful.”
The prosecutor said she then asked him why he was inviting unknown people along with those he knows and Mr. Choudary replied, “I want to encourage.”
Mr. Little said, “That is precisely the prosecution’s case and it is based in part on his own unguarded words.”
The prosecutor said the recording was important because of what Mr. Choudary did not say.
“When she says ’they are all al-Muhajiroun‘ he doesn’t say ’no they’re not',” he added.
Mr. Little then read out several excerpts from the online speeches, which were recorded by two U.S. undercover officers who had infiltrated ITS.
‘Badge of Honour’ To Be ‘Number One Radicaliser’
“We never carried swords, we never carried guns or knives. They said to me they said you are the number one radicaliser in Britain they said, glory to Allah. You know they expected me to be unhappy with that, I’m like alhamdulillah [praise be to God] ... that is a badge of honour for me,” he told his audience, who could be heard laughing.Mr. Little said of Choudary’s ITS lectures: “They were predominantly concerned with religious instruction and da’wa. Much of the content was not illegal.”
“Given his recent previous conviction, Anjem Choudary was careful not to be heard explicitly advocating violence. He is too clever for that. His references were far more nuanced and subtle but the message to informed radical listeners would have been obvious,” he added.
Mr. Little said: “His teachings contain references to the battlefield, jihad ... fighting the enemy, and also favourably to a number of Islamic figures such as Omar Bakri Mohammed, Abu Baraa, Abu Izzadeen and indeed other individuals.”
‘Leopards Don’t Change Their Spots’
“Leopards don’t change their spots and Anjem Choudary has not changed his mindset,” added Mr. Little.In another speech Mr. Choudary referred to being called “extremist” or “fanatic” as “medallions” on his chest.
“I’m the one they call fanatic for your sake Allah. This is good. We attack for the sake of Allah,” he added.
On Sep. 11, 2022—the 21st anniversary of 9/11—he delivered a lecture to the ITS group.
Mr. Little said: “Anjem Choudary began the lecture with a teaching from the Quran that to anger the disbeliever or injure the enemy is a ‘good deed.’ I am sure that the significance of saying that on September 11 will not have escaped your attention. It was deliberate.”
“He talked about how Omar Bakri Mohammed once directed Anjem Choudary to organise a press conference on an anniversary of 9/11 at the time the first plane struck the towers, and they charged the media £9 and 11 pence to enter the mosque,” said Mr. Little.
The prosecutor told the jury they might think that is “sickening” but he said it gave an insight into Mr. Choudary and the ITS mindset.
Wanted Muslims and Christians to Live in Peace
Mr. Little said when Mr. Choudary was arrested in July 2023 and interviewed by the police he suggested they were misinterpreting his speeches.Mr. Choudary denied he was referring to ISIS when he mentioned the khilafah (caliphate).
Mr. Little said Mr. Choudary claimed the phrase “terrorising the enemy” he had used meant “dissuading an enemy from engaging in the first place in order to have peace.”
The prosecutor said Mr. Choudary claimed he, “believed an ideal society involved Muslims and Christians living peacefully side by side” and thought they needed a “fundamental grasp of Islam” to understand his lectures.
The trial is expected to last several weeks and on Monday some of the undercover officers are due to give evidence.
