Man who encouraged ‘gruesome’ Islamic terror attacks on UK’s Prince George is jailed for life
The man spent hours making online posters and propaganda encouraging would-be terrorists to carry out ‘the most gruesome attacks’, police said
A British man who created propaganda encouraging Islamist militants to target four-year-old Prince George – destined to be Britain’s future king – was sentenced to life in jail on Friday.
Husnain Rashid, 32, from Nelson in northwest England, will serve a minimum of 24 years for posting information on the messaging platform Telegram that was intended to encourage jihadis to carry out attacks around the world, along with information about possible targets.
“He had spent the past 18 months locked away in a bedroom of his parents’ house … and spent hours making online posters and propaganda encouraging would-be terrorists to carry out the most gruesome attacks,” Chief Superintendent Will Chatterton from Counter Terrorism Policing North West in a statement after sentencing.
Prosecutors said this included posting a picture of Prince George, son of Queen Elizabeth’s grandson Prince William and third-in-line to the throne, next to the silhouettes of two jihadi fighters.
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The post included the address of his school in southwest London where he started last September and was accompanied with the caption “even the royal family will not be left alone”.
Rashid had initially denied the charges but during his trial at Woolwich Crown Court he changed his plea to guilty, admitting four terrorism charges.
Prosecutors said posts by Rashid, an unemployed former web designer, also included a street map of New York’s Sixth Avenue with the caption “New York Halloween Parade. Have you made your preparations? The Countdown begins.”
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His targets had also included Jewish communities and government buildings.
“Today the world is just that little bit safer,” Chatterton said.