A man who posted messages on social media urging others to commit acts of terrorism in Bangladesh has been jailed for three years.
Munna Hamza, 50, of south London, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday after being convicted of three counts of encouraging terrorism. When he is released he will spend an additional year on licence.
Hamza was arrested in July 2018 after a member of the public reported messages he had posted on social media encouraging acts of terrorism against the Bangladeshi government.
Counter Terrorism officers carried out an investigation and initially identified five posts of concern. Within his posts, Hamza called on others to commit serious acts of violence in Bangladesh against the Bangladeshi Prime Minister and government.
On July 4, 2018, officers arrested Hamza at his place of work in south London and seized his computer, phones and memory sticks for forensic examination. He admitted to publishing the posts and he was bailed.
Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “I praise the member of the public for alerting us to Hamza’s harmful, extremist posts. As a result, we were able to prevent him from publishing further incitements of violence and terror which could have had devastating consequences. I hope this case sends a message that we will seek to prosecute anyone who seeks to instigate acts of serious violence by posting extremist messages.
“Every year, thousands of reports from the public help police tackle the terrorist threat and I would remind everyone to remain vigilant and help us by reporting anything at all suspicious to police. If you see or hear something that doesn’t seem right, even if it is online, trust your instincts and act by reporting to police in confidence.”
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