AN Essex man who sent money to his nephew in Syria knowing it was to fund terrorist activity has been convicted of terrorism offences.
Farhad Mohammad, 45, of Osborne Street, has been found guilty of terrorist fundraising, sending hundreds to his nephew who was willing to die a “martyr” for the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.
Mohammad was charged on July 10, 2023, and after a trial at the Old Bailey was found guilty of two counts of terrorist fundraising on April 26.
Mohammad was found not guilty on two other counts of terrorist fundraising – linked to alleged payments in May and August 2017 – and the jury was unable to reach a verdict on a fifth count of terrorist fundraising from October 2017.
During the Met’s Counter Terrorism Unit’s investigation, it was found that Mohammad arranged for two payments of $350 to be given to his nephew Idris Usman.
Mr Usman was further revealed by the investigation to be fighting at the time in Syria for ‘Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham’ (HTS) - an alternative name UK laws states should be used instead of Al Qa’ida.
While one of the messages on Mohammad’s phone from his nephew in May 2017, which was found by officers, read: “Uncle forgive me, God willing I am going to participate in a fighting, either I will stay alive or I become a martyr, it is up to God.”
The Met’s specialist investigators were able to establish that the money was transferred via a third-party as well and Mohammad knew he was sending money directly to be spent on terrorist activity.
Met Counter Terrorism Commander Dominic Murphy said: “Terrorist groups rely on financial support and funding to be able to operate.
“While Mohammad’s contributions may not have been vast sums, he was well aware his nephew wanted the money to purchase a firearm and to help fund his fighting in Syria.
“Groups like Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham cause huge misery, terror and devastation.
“If you knowingly fund someone - family member or not - who is part of a group like that, then it is helping a terrorist organisation and it is something we take extremely seriously.”
Reporting restrictions on the case’s verdicts were lifted on Monday.
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