A 32-year-old resident of Tipton was sentenced to twelve months in prison yesterday for supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation.
Mohammed Nafees Ahmed pleaded guilty to eight offences related to supporting a banned terrorist group. Authorities revealed that Ahmed had been actively posting anti-Semitic, violent, and threatening comments on the social media platform X starting in October 2023. His posts expressed support for Hamas and frequently glorified incidents involving the killing of Israeli soldiers.
Hamas has been designated as a proscribed organisation in the UK since November 2021. Despite this, Ahmed engaged with political figures in both the UK and the US on social media, and provocatively encouraged the Metropolitan Police Service to arrest him through his online activity.
Ahmed was apprehended on March 20 and formally charged on September 16 with the aforementioned counts. Detective Chief Superintendent Alison Hurst, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing in the West Midlands, stated: “We will not tolerate hate crime and violent and threatening comments or supporting and promoting an organisation that’s been banned by the UK government.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Hurst emphasized the importance of public involvement in countering terrorism, noting that thousands of reports from the community each year assist police in addressing terrorist threats. She urged individuals to trust their instincts and report suspicious activities confidentially via the government’s Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) program at gov.uk/ACT.
“Reporting won’t ruin lives, but it could save them. Action Counters Terrorism. Remember, in an emergency, always dial 999,” Hurst added.
Ahmed’s sentencing highlights the ongoing efforts by UK authorities to combat online extremism and the promotion of banned organisations through digital platforms.