A Birmingham teen was sentenced for possessing and distributing Islamic State materials, promoting terrorism from his home.
Farooq, 19, planned to share this material to promote terrorism. He was arrested in August 2022, alongside his friend Amir El-Harith, who was also suspected of terrorism offenses.
In December, Farooq was found guilty of three counts of distributing terrorism material. He had already admitted to possessing such material from May to July 2022.
On January 31, at Birmingham Crown Court, Farooq received a five-and-a-half-year sentence for his actions. His friend El-Harith, 20, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years last July for similar offenses.
El-Harith was convicted of sharing terrorist publications between April and June 2022. He encouraged others to commit acts of terrorism using Islamic State-related videos. He also faced charges for posting videos on Instagram to promote terrorism.
El-Harith pleaded guilty in December 2023 to possessing information on creating explosives. He received a sentence of three years and ten months for each count, with all sentences running concurrently.
Despite his arrest, El-Harith continued accessing extremist material while on bail. He also received a four-year serious crime prevention order, which will start after his release.
A spokesperson from the West Midlands Police Counter-terrorism Unit emphasized the importance of public reports in tackling terrorism. They urged anyone who sees suspicious activity to report it, as it could save lives. In emergencies, always call 999.
