Brighton man sentenced to jail term for encouraging violent terrorism

The 53-year-old was arrested and charged after making an unwanted speech, the contents of which encouraged terrorism, at a Brighton mosque on 1 November 2020. In the speech, Deghayes stated that committing Jihad was an obligation and he encouraged Jihad by the sword.

On Thursday 21 April, Abu Bakr Deghayes was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment with one year on licence.

Detective Chief Superintendent Oliver Wright, head of Counter-Terrorism Policing South East, said: “Deghayes used a toxic rhetoric that could radicalise others, but his destructive views were rejected by the community to which he was preaching. In the speech he made, he was at risk of persuading others to take action and follow his extremist view of the world but, due to the diligence and awareness of the people it was directed at, his actions were reported and he was subsequently convicted of this serious crime.”

Wright added: “It’s vitally important that people have the courage to report their concerns to the police when they witness extremism being promoted in this way. We rely on those who see or hear this sort of messaging to have the confidence to report it. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone within the community who support and assist police officers during investigations of this nature. We can only fulfil our mission of keeping our communities safe by working together.”

Tanya Jones, Assistant Chief Constable at Sussex Police, commented: “Abu Bakr Deghayes’ corrosive ideology tried to sow division in the community.​ This sentence reaffirms our commitment, alongside our partners in Counter-Terrorism Policing South East, to root out those who spread hateful, extremist views and bring them to justice.”