British Cyber-Jihadist Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment by a US Court

A British cyber-jihadist has been sentenced to 12-and-a-half year's imprisonment by a US court.

Babar Ahmad, 39, admitted terrorism offences, pleading guilty in December to providing support and materials to terrorists.

Although Ahmed and co-accused Syed Talha Ahsan carried out their activities from the UK, the pair were charged in the US because they used a web service provider based in Connecticut to run one of the websites to raise funds online.

According to court documents, Ahmed and Ahsan sought to recruit fighters and seek equipment for terrorists in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

US prosecutors said the two men, operated a network of internet sites from London, known as Azzam publications, which solicited worldwide support for the jihadist cause.

Videos were played from the Azzam.com site, including one showing a Russian soldier being killed by Chechen rebels.

A search of his London home after his 2003 arrest, showed he was in possession of previously classified plans on the deployment of a US naval battle group from California to the Middle East.

In an eight year campaign, Ahmad and Ahsan tried to avoid extradition in British courts and later in the European Court of Human Rights.

Ahmad has already spent almost 10 years in prison in the UK and US.

The judge said when passing the sentence, she had to consider Ahmad's good character, after reading thousands of letters of support and reports from British prison officials who described him as an exemplary prisoner.

Having already served ten years of his sentence, Ahmed could be released in seven-and-a-half months.

He is expected to carry out the remainder of his sentence in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Centre.