Freed Terror Convict Anjem Choudary Must Take ‘Deradicalisation’ Lessons

Choudary
David Mirzoeff/PA
Liam Deacon

Terror convict Anjem Choudary must complete a compulsory de-radicalisation programme as part of his probation following early release from prison.

The notorious Islamist hate preacher, 51, has been released after serving less than half of a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence for encouraging support for the Islamic State terror group.

He reportedly did not change his view behind bars but will be required to receive mentoring and theological “advice” as part of the course now he is free, The Times reports.

If the former solicitor does not attend the desistance and disengagement programme (DDP) sessions as part of his probation, he will be returned to prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

It will include “intensive tailored interventions and practical support” and try to address “personal grievances” that extremist ideologies and radical Islam emphasise.

Choudary was released from the high-security Belmarsh prison in southeast London just over a week ago and is subject to strict supervision, including limited Internet access and a ban on meeting others connected to terror.

He is also expected to wear an electronic tag, face a nighttime curfew, and his name has been added to a United Nations sanctions list, which means the government can freeze his assets and bar him from travelling.

The DDP expanded from a pilot scheme last year and reportedly operates in a similar way to Channel, the strand of Prevent that deals with the most serious cases.

Foreign fighters returning from Syria who cannot be prosecuted due to a lack of evidence will also be put on the DDP scheme as a condition of their return to the UK.

However, in June, a government report found that 95 percent of government deradicalisation initiatives fail to work, raising serious questions about the effectiveness of Prevent and the role of political correctness.

Around one convicted terrorist is released from prison onto the streets of Britain every week, government figures showed last month.

Between March 2017 and March 2018, 46 convicts imprisoned for terror offences were released from jail.

At least 22 of Choudary’s supporters have been released since the 9/11 attacks in 2001, with another five up for parole in the next year.

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