A mother-of-three from Yorkshire has been convicted of encouraging terrorism after retweeting a speech by the ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.
Mary Kaya, 57, from Batley, was caught after police arrested her husband in a counter-terrorism raid and began monitoring her Twitter account. She was handed a 21-month suspended prison sentence at Leeds Crown Court after being found guilty of distributing a publication likely to encourage people to participate in terrorism.
The jury heard Kaya retweeted an audio clip of Abu Bakr al Baghdadi entitled “Even if the Disbelievers Despise It,” to her 30 followers on November 13, 2014. Kaya denied posting the link telling police someone had hacked her account.
Passing sentence, Judge Peter Collier QC called the speech a “dreadful diatribe” but conceded that apart from her Twitter feed there was no evidence to indicate Kaya had any radical Islamic views.
She has attended the Prevent counter-terrorism programme since April 2016 which she said she “thoroughly enjoyed.” Judge Collier said it was likely Kaya had already been rehabilitated and therefore provided no threat to others. He said she couldn’t be classed as a dangerous offender.
Kaya will undergo a two-year supervision order and observe a 7am – 7pm curfew for four months while husband Mustafa Kaya was released with no further action following the police raid.
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