Anjem Choudary: Radical preacher's public speaking ban to be lifted

Radical preacher Anjem Choudary's ban on speaking in public is to be lifted as conditions which were imposed after his release from prison come to an end.

Choudary, from Ilford in east London, was jailed for five-and-a-half years in 2016 after being convicted of inviting support for the Islamic State group.

He headed a now-banned group supporting an extreme interpretation of Islam.

He was released on licence from HMP Belmarsh in 2018 and was subject to more than 20 conditions at the time.

His licence conditions, which included a ban on public speaking and talking to the media, will automatically expire at midnight.

His internet and mobile phone use was also restricted and he was banned from being in contact with people who may be suspected of extremist-related offences without prior approval.

The former solicitor had to wear an electronic tag and abide by a night-time curfew, only attend pre-approved mosques and stay within a set area, as well as adhere to other standard requirements, like having regular meetings with probation officers.

Police and probation services were among a host of bodies involved in monitoring him under the system known as multi-agency public protection arrangements.

Separate measures saw his name added to a UN sanctions list, which meant he was banned from travelling and had assets frozen.

A senior security source told the Press Association "disruptive measures" had had "a substantial impact" on the ability of the group Choudary headed, the Al-Muhajiroun (ALM) network, "to propagate their toxic ideology".

ALM has been linked to multiple attacks and plots in the UK and abroad.

The three attackers that killed eight people at London Bridge in 2017 were led by a former ALM member, while the murder of five at Westminster Bridge earlier that year was by a man who had spent years associating with the group.

Former member Usman Khan also killed two people at Fishmongers Hall in 2019.