Wycombe man jailed for sending social media messages glorifying terrorism

Iftikhar Ali, 19, of Totteridge Drive was sentenced to three years and six months at a Young Offenders Institution for the offences.

He was found guilty last month of 12 counts of transmission of a terrorism publication, contrary to section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 and one count of possession of a document likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism contrary to section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

His arrest followed an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South East.

He was sentenced to three years and six months for each count to run concurrently.

Between September and October in 2015, Ali sent several WhatsApp messages which glorified acts of terrorism.

Upon his arrest in March 2016, he was found in possession of a publication likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism.

He was initially charged in December 2016 with the offences by detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East before being sentenced on January 26 2018 at the Central Criminal Court.

Detective Superintendent Nigel Doak said: “Using social media to share messages which glorify terrorism and spread propaganda which clearly encourages others to commit terrorist acts is unacceptable.

“It is clear from the evidence that has been presented that Ali had displayed support for extremist ideology and today’s sentencing sends out a strong message that actions such as those carried out by Ali will not be tolerated.

“Officers and staff in Counter Terrorism Policing will continue to identify those responsible for sharing this kind of content, gather evidence and bring them before the courts, so that they may face justice.

“We will be relentless in our efforts to keep people safe.

“If you have concerns about a loved one then you can seek help either through your local police by calling 101 or visit www.preventtragedies.co.uk for information on how to spot the signs and prevent vulnerable people being targeted.

“We want to prevent potential tragedies and we need the support of communities in doing this.

“If you see or hear something that could be terrorist related, act on your instincts and call the police in confidence on 0800 789 321.

“In an emergency, always dial 999.

“Visit gov.uk/ACT for more information, including how to report extremist or terrorist content that you come across online.”