Whitechapel extremist Mohammed Rahman jailed for five-and-a-half years for Isis support
Tower Hamlets radical Mohammed Rahman has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for inviting support for Islamic State.
Thirty-three-year-old Rahman, who was living in Whitechapel at the time of his arrest, received the same punishment as co-defendant Anjem Choudary, 49.
The pair were convicted in July at the Old Bailey after pledging allegiance to Isis in an oath that was published on an Indonesian website.
The judge, Mr Justice Holroyde, described Rahman as a “hothead” and notorious hate cleric Choudary, who refused to stand up in the dock as the hearing began, as “calculating”.
He told the defendants they were allowed to support Isis, but inviting others to do the same was a “crime”.
The judge said: “I regard each of you as dangerous. You show no remorse at all for anything you have said or done and I have no doubt you will continue to communicate your message whenever you can.
“You are both mature men and intelligent men who knew throughout exactly what you were doing. You are both fluent and persuasive speakers.
“A significant proportion of those listening to your words would be impressionable persons looking to you for guidance on how to act.”
The court also heard that Rahman has a previous conviction for criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon, dating back to 2002.
Both Rahman and Choudary were also given an order, lasting for 15 years, which means conditions can be imposed on them when they are released.
Commander Dean Haydon, Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism chief, said: “These men have stayed just within the law for many years and there has been frustration for both law enforcement agencies and communities as they spread hate.
“We have watched Choudary developing a media career as spokesman for the extremists, saying the most distasteful of comments, but without crossing the criminal threshold.
“Their recent speeches and the oath of allegiance were a turning point for the police – at last we had the evidence that they had stepped over the line and we could prove they were actively encouraging support of Isis.
“This has been a significant prosecution in our fight against terrorism and we will now be working with communities to ensure that they are not replaced by others spreading hate.
“Communities defeat terrorism, which is why we must maintain the strong relationship between the public and police. We depend on information from the public, who are our eyes and ears, in our efforts to keep us all safe.”