The Islamist hate preacher Anjem Choudary has been released from prison after serving less than half of his five and a half year sentence.
He led an extremist network linked to violent jihadists, including one of the killers of soldier Lee Rigby in 2013, and was jailed in 2016 for for inviting support for the Islamic State group.
He is described by a former head of Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command as extremely dangerous and acknowledged by Prisons Minister Rory Stewart as a genuine threat.
Choudary, 51, will complete the rest of his sentence under strict supervision. This will mean a huge security operation costing an estimated £2million a year. (By contrast the cost of keeping him in prison was £50,000 a year.)
He preaches terrorism so why is he being allowed to live here? He and his family should be told that his British citizenship is being revoked – the only reason he cannot be deported – and there will be no police protection so he had better find a country willing to take him, and fast.
Moderate Muslims are understandably are alarmed about the early release of ‘this despicable Muslim’, and have warned that he is far from a spent force. Adam Deen of the counter-extremism organisation Quilliam believes that Choudary can re-energise groups whose ranks have been thinned by deaths in Syria and that restrictions are ‘not going to stop his act’.
What it will take for politicians to listen, step up to the mark and change the law so that hardened terrorists such as Choudary will be stripped of their UK nationality, serve their full sentences and then be immediately deported?
