British court sentences Dutch man to 8 years for terrorism
A court in London sentenced Dutch man Aweys S. to eight years in prison for terrorism. He was found guilty of preparing for acts of terrorism and planning to join terrorist organization ISIS in Syria, British newspapers Mail Online and Mirror report.
In 2013 S. left his family behind in Breda to move to London, where he got a job as a package deliverer, according to newspaper AD. In London he became radicalized, the British judiciary said in court. The Somali-born Dutch man made headlines in the United Kingdom when prosecutors revealed chat conversations he had with a man in Kenya in court. In these chats they talked about killing former Prime Minister James Cameron and Queen Elizabeth, and opening fire on football supporters and Jewish people.
The court did not convict him for these statements. "These conversations, although chilling, dangerous and testament to your increasing radicalization, were in my judgment more in the nature of fantasy than conspiracy", the judge told him, according to the Mirror. "I am not sentencing you, indeed cannot sentence you on this charge, for threatened acts of terrorism in this country."
The judge added: "Given the scope of your ambition, including your fantasies about the commission of very grave terrorist acts in the UK and your hatred for those who do not share your views, I have no hesitation in finding you dangerous."
S. was arrested at Stansted airport in London on May 24th last year, as he was preparing to board a flight to Turkey, from where he wanted to sneak across the border to Syria or Iraq, according to the Prosecutor.
"You can have no illusions about the nature of the fighters whose ranks you aspired to join, no illusions about their murderous behavior, their atrocities", the judge said, according to Mail Online. "But for your detention at Stansted you could have been within the heart of the area then controlled by so-called Islamic State within a few days."
The Dutch man was convicted for preparing acts of terrorism by applying for a loan, buying a one way ticket to Turkey, and going to the London airport to travel abroad and join a terrorist organization. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
