A father from Brighton who was jailed for encouraging terrorism in a speech at his local mosque after two of his sons died fighting in Syria has had his sentence cut by the Court of Appeal.
Abubaker Deghayes promoted “jihad by sword” when he addressed worshippers at the Brighton Mosque and Muslim Community Centre in November 2020.
Deghayes, originally from Libya, was found guilty after a trial at the Central Criminal Court, better known as the Old Bailey, of intending to encourage terrorism in his speech to about 50 people, including children and young adults.
In April 2022, the then 54-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison with another year on licence.
He brought an appeal against his sentence and, at the Court of Appeal in London today (Wednesday 25 January), it was reduced to three years in prison with an additional year on licence.
At his trial in January last year, Deghayes, of Saltdean, was said to have made a stabbing gesture when talking about jihad.
He told worshippers: “Jihad, jihad, jihad! Jihad is compulsory. Jihad is fighting by sword. That means this jihad is compulsory upon you, not jihad is the word of mouth but jihad will remain compulsory until the day of resurrection …”
Deghayes denied wrongdoing, saying that he was explaining the meaning of jihad by the sword as self-defence.
On Wednesday, Lord Justice Edis, sitting with Mr Justice Cavanagh and Judge Paul Thomas, said that the sentence needed to be reduced as the judge had wrongly calculated the term.
However, Lord Justice Edis said that the judge had been right to impose the extended licence period, adding: “The abuse of that religious gathering to promote terrorism is an aggravating feature as is the fact that the audience included young men and boys.”
Deghayes’s trial was told that two of his sons were killed fighting in Syria and that he lost a third son in a stabbing in Brighton.
Abdul – who was murdered in 2019 aged 22 – was the twin brother of Abdullah, who was killed fighting in Syria in 2016 aged 18.
Their brother Jaffar, 17, was killed in Syria in 2014.
interesting to know what the words used by Deghayes
He should have been deported to Libya long ago.
Freedom of speech?
Freedom of speech? I thought…yes what a good Brit
In the decades this man has been in UK has he ever had a job? Why choose to be the “only Muslims” in Saltdean when they have lived in Hove and been unexceptional.
The three sons were teenage gang members and always making trouble along the London Rd. The gang matured and members got into into really serious crime and dealing, which resulted in the Elm Grove stabbing when Abdul tried to rip off his coke supplier. It has been suggested that the anti social behaviour stems back to the racist school kids of Brighton, well, according to the book Tragic Story, How Martyrs Are Made. The bullied became the bullies. The book is worth a read if any of this interests.
Lets not forget to mention the brother Omar in Guantanamo that Brighton council voted to adopt his case.