UK Court Convicts Edmonton Resident of Terrorism Charge
A Canadian citizen from Edmonton has been found guilty of a terrorism offence in the United Kingdom, as reported by the RCMP after an investigation with international partners.
On July 23, Khaled Hussein and British citizen Anjem Choudary were convicted on multiple charges under the Terrorism Act, according to an official statement released by the RCMP.
The RCMP Federal Policing Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) launched an investigation in October 2019, focusing on individuals in Alberta involved in recruiting, radicalizing, and facilitating entry into violent extremism. Mr. Hussein, who worked at a local gas station, was identified as a person of interest during this probe.
INSET revealed that Mr. Hussein had strong ties to the Islamic Thinkers Society (ITS), also known as Al-Muhajiroun (ALM), a group linked to terror activities in the UK, such as the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017 and the London Bridge incident in the same year.
Mr. Hussein was influenced by Mr. Choudary, a 57-year-old London resident. Mr. Choudary had previously been convicted under the British Terrorism Act in 2016 for supporting the terror group ISIS and had served a five-and-a-half-year jail term.
Investigation
The RCMP collaborated with international partners, including the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command (CTC), which conducted parallel investigations.
In June 2023, the RCMP learned of Mr. Hussein’s plan to travel from Edmonton to London, England, and alerted the CTC. He was apprehended on July 17 upon arrival in London.
Related Stories
Mr. Hussein faced charges under UK law for being a member of a banned organization under the Terrorism Act and for violating the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, which can mandate a person to provide information or aid to law enforcement.
Mr. Choudary was also accused under the UK Terrorism Act for membership in a proscribed organization, encouraging support for a banned group through speeches, and leading a terrorist organization.
Both men were found guilty on all counts on July 23.
The UK government describes ALM as an Islamist group aiming for an Islamic caliphate. The group first emerged in the UK in 1996, disbanded in 2004, and reformed as Al Ghurabaa and the Saved Sect. These groups were banned in July 2006.
The Epoch Times reached out to Public Safety Canada and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for comment, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
The man was fatally shot on July 22 in Netiv HaAsara, an Israeli village near the Gaza border, after threatening Israeli security officials with a knife. During the incident, he shouted “Free Palestine” and “You are killing civilians in Gaza” before being shot and killed, as reported by Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
GAC spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod mentioned that the department is aware of the incident but declined to provide additional details due to privacy concerns.
Carolina Avendano contributed to this report.
