Three terrorists who plotted to behead a British soldier, bomb a shopping centre and join ISIS could walk free
A trio of jailed Islamist terrorists could soon be walking the streets again after being referred to the Parole Board, Mail Online can reveal.
All three are disciples of hate preacher Anjem Choudary, who has inspired dozens of convicted terrorists and 15 plots over two decades.
The terrorists applying for release include one who plotted to behead a British soldier and another who planned bombing atrocities at major shopping centres.
A third who tried to make his way to Syria to join Islamic State was arrested at Heathrow.
One of the three men due to be considered for release is Parviz Khan, 50, the ringleader of a gang who plotted to kidnap and behead a British soldier.
His gang was later reported to be inspired by Choudary’s al-Muhajiroun network. Khan, from Birmingham, was told in 2008 he must serve a minimum of 13 years, taking into account time awaiting trial, and is due up before the Parole Board in the next few months.
The judge, Mr Justice Henriques left the court in no doubt how dangerous he believed Khan to be.
He told him at Leicester crown court, said: ‘You have been described by the Crown as a man who has the most violent and extreme Islamist views and as a fanatic.
‘Having studied over the last month [the covert recordings], I unhesitatingly accept that description of you.
‘You not only plotted to kill a soldier, but you intended to film a most brutal killing.’
The judge said Khan’s aim was to deter any Muslim from joining the British Army.
‘This was not only a plot to kill a soldier but a plot to undermine the morale of the British Army and inhibit recruitment,’ he said.
‘It’s plain that you were absolutely serious and determined to bring this plot to fruition.’
Another Choudary disciple who plotted to bomb British shopping centres also close to freedom is Jawad Akbar, 36, from Crawley, West Sussex.
He was jailed for life in 2007 for planning fertiliser bomb atrocities at shopping malls, including Bluewater in Kent, at nightclubs and in Britain’s domestic gas network.
Police, who discovered a massive haul of 600kg of ammonium nitrate to be used in bombs, hidden in a storage facility, later revealed Akbar was radicalised by Choudary’s Al-Muhajiroun terror network.
Akbar’s Parole Board case is likely to be heard before Christmas.
Also hoping for release is a young Muslim jihadist found guilty of trying to join Islamic State in Syria to fulfil his ambition of becoming a martyr.
Zakariya Ashiq, 26, from Coventry, was found guilty on two counts of preparing acts of terrorism in 2015.
His extremist sympathies were also exposed in WhatsApp messages. In one he wrote: ‘There is no life, there’s no life without jihad.’
Cops later told how he searched on his computer for phrases such as ‘IS beheading journalist’ and ‘44 ways to support jihad’ and speeches made by preacher Choudary.
He was arrested on his return to Heathrow Airport after making his way overland to Jordan but failing to enter Syria. He told officers he would ‘swim the English Channel’ to reach the IS ‘caliphate’.
The court heard he was a ‘Walter Mitty’ character and was sentenced to six years jail.
He was since released on licence but has now been recalled to jail and awaits a review by the Parole Board.
A Parole Board spokesperson confirmed the cases of all three had been referred to them and each prisoner will now go before the parole board to bid for freedom.
Last night Chris Phillips, the UK’s former counter terror lead, warned: ‘Choudary remains a very dangerous individual.’
Last week reports claimed Choudary had blasted social media firms for not protecting him from death threats after years cheerleading for jihad.
He has inspired dozens of convicted terrorists and 15 plots over two decades.
But the shameless rabblerouser is now demanding the ‘same protection from threats as the Queen or Prime Minister’ after being threatened online.
There has been fresh determination among MPs to crack down on online hate following the murder of Tory MP Sir David Amess on October 15.
But Choudary, 54, moaned: ‘There are a lot of threats against my life on the internet.
‘We could collect them all and send them to Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson and see what they do about it — or are we not really citizens?
‘The laws they are talking about are for politicians and non-Muslims, they are not talking about the far-right.’
The hypocritical outburst came after it was revealed that 40 hours of his vile video rants are still online.
Anti-racism group Hope Not Hate estimates Choudary ‘influenced and inspired over 100 Brits to carry out or attempt to carry out terrorism attacks’.
Fishmongers’ Hall killer Usman Khan was an ex-follower of Choudary — and even had his number stored in his phone.
Source: Daily Mail
