UK radical preacher Anjem Choudary convicted of supporting Daesh

Combo image shows preacher Anjem Choudary arriving at the Old Bailey in London on January 11, 2016 to stand trial (left frame) and shouting into a microphone as Islamist demonstrators stage a protest outside the US Embassy in London on September 11, 2011. (AFP photos)

LONDON: One of Britain’s best-known radical Muslim preachers, Anjem Choudary, has been convicted of encouraging support for the Daesh group.
Choudary and co-defendant Mohammed Mizanur Rahman were convicted last month, but the verdict could not be reported until Tuesday because of court-imposed restrictions.
The 49-year-old firebrand has been one of the best-known faces of radical Islam in Britain for years, leading groups under names including Al-Muhajiroun and Islam4UK — both banned by the British government.
He gained attention for headline-grabbing statements and media appearances that stayed on the right side of the law, but was arrested in 2014 after signing an oath recognizing the “proclaimed Islamic Caliphate State.”
Choudary is due to be sentenced next month and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.