Anjem Choudary has been released from jail today after serving just half his five-and-a-half year sentence for swearing an oath of allegiance to ISIS.
The hate preacher, 51, was swept out of Belmarsh Prison in south-east London at 4am this morning and taken to a bail hostel in north London.
Choudary, branded Britain’s most dangerous extremist, is a free man despite becoming ‘hardened’ in jail and more determined than ever to spread his toxic Islamist propaganda.
The hate preacher’s already militant views became ‘far more extreme and aggressive’ while locked up and he now regards himself as a ‘martyr’, according to those who met him in prison.
Yet he has been released automatically after only serving half his jail term despite inspiring around 100 British jihadis to kill or join ISIS and spreading hate on Britain’s streets.
In response authorities are mounting a huge security operation in a bid to prevent him radicalising a new generation of home-grown jihadi terrorists costing taxpayers at least £2million a year.
He faces up to 25 strict conditions drawn up to control almost every aspect of his life – including a ban on talking to children – and will wear an electronic tag.
And the Government has launched a campaign to debunk his influence and ridicule him, with Whitehall sources calling him a ‘shameless coward’ who was ‘too scared’ to go to war himself so encouraged vulnerable young men to go instead.
Choudary was sent to a probation hostel after serving half his sentence for swearing an oath of allegiance to Islamic State – despite security experts warning the ‘Pied Piper of jihad’ would inspire more terror attacks.
However, he will be subject to a huge security operation, including surveillance teams, monitoring devices and demands that he adhere to up to 25 rules controlling his activities.
Choudary, 51, a married father of five, is one of Britain’s most notorious firebrand clerics. He was jailed for five-and-a-half years for inviting support for ISIS, but is due for automatic release after serving half his sentence.
The release came as:
■Campaigners said he remained ‘Britain’s most dangerous extremist’ after research showed he is already linked to over 120 Islamist terrorists.
■It was revealed that the huge security surrounding him is estimated to cost the taxpayer more than £2million a year – compared to the £50,000 to keep him in jail.
■An imam who has met Choudary in jail suggested he had used human rights laws to be placed in a half-way house in North London – close to where he used to preach – by claiming he had to be near his children.
The release is a landmark moment for the Government, which is still reeling from a string of atrocities which left more than 30 dead last year.
The preacher, who once led banned group Al-Muhajiroun, was sentenced in 2016. Fiyaz Mughal, head of anti-extremist group Faith Matters, has spoken to the imam who was brought into jail to try to de-radicalise him.
‘Choudary was put in containment that stops him engaging with other prisoners, but also given pastoral care to see if they could get through to him,’ he said. ‘I asked the guy who spoke to him if the de-radicalisation programme had worked and he said, ‘No, he’s got worse. He’s hardened’. He speaks in the mind-set of the victim. He sees himself as a martyr the state tried to silence.’
‘He’s said things like, ‘if someone wants to upload my videos I’m not going to stop them’.’
Mr Mughal added: ‘He should have served the full term. It’s a terrible day for victims of the attacks he has helped incite.
‘We need a change in the law so that anyone named as the inciter in two terrorist attacks should automatically serve the full sentence.’
Dr Michael Kenney, of the University of Pittsburgh, who followed Al-Muhajiroun for five years for his research, said its followers were ‘very excited’ about his release.
They had been dormant following his arrest, but are now expected to try to ‘rebuild and revitalise’, he said.
And he warned it was ‘entirely possible’ that more of his followers would turn to terrorism, like Khuram Butt, who was part of last year’s London Bridge terror attack and Lee Rigby killers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.
‘Those who are vulnerable to his warped messages will see him as a hero … who has been through the fire of imprisonment.’
Security sources say Choudary’s conviction has raised his credibility among fanatics. In the past, his desire not to go to prison and, what was seen in some quarters as his cowardice by not going to Syria, raised suspicions that he was a stooge for the security services.
Campaign group Hope not Hate found he has been directly or indirectly linked to at least 123 Islamist terrorists.
‘Anjem Choudary will remain the most dangerous extremist in Britain today,’ said Nick Lowles, chief executive. ‘This is a man who has inspired dozens to commit acts of violence.’
The security operation will include surveillance teams, monitoring devices and demands that Choudary adhere to up to 25 rules. He also faces being targeted by UN sanctions to freeze his assets, prevent him travelling and even enforce ‘arms embargo provisions’.
Theresa May yesterday insisted safeguards were place to protect people from him.
Parole board’s plan to keep Anjem Choudary from spreading poison
Choudary will face 25 licence conditions. Any breach could result in a return to custody. They have been drawn up by the security services, police, probation service and the Ministry of Justice, they include:
÷Being forced to live in an approved hostel
÷Electronic tagging
÷A night-time curfew
÷Keeping in contact with his supervising probation officer
÷Handing over his passport
÷A ban on travelling outside the M25
÷Only being allowed to attend pre-approved mosques
÷Only being allowed one mobile phone, which he must hand over to the authorities for checking on request
÷A ban on contacting individuals who he knows or believes to have been charged with or convicted of extremist-related offences without prior approval
÷No use of the internet unless with prior permission
÷No unsupervised contact with children
÷Not being allowed to speak to the media
÷A ban from preaching
÷Not being allowed to convene meetings