Muslim extremist, 29, convicted of spreading ISIS videos on WhatsApp and Instagram is found guilty of sharing propaganda videos glorifying terrorists on Facebook

• Sabbir Miah, 29, from Newham, East London was found guilty at the Old Bailey
• He had shared IS propaganda glorifying terrorists on his Facebook page
• Miah was previously found guilty of spreading ISIS videos on Instagram 
• After being arrested he said: ‘It’s weird because I haven’t posted anything.’

A Muslim extremist, previously convicted for spreading videos from the so-called Islamic State on Whatsapp and Instagram, has been found guilty of sharing propaganda videos glorifying terrorists on Facebook.

Sabbir Miah, 29, from Newham, East London, posted the propaganda video in a private group in June last year.

The footage showed the IS adopted black flag and was produced by Al-Hayat media – who produces the terrorist groups propaganda.

Sabbir Miah, 29, from Newham, East London, was found guilty at the Old Bailey today for spreading videos glorifying so called Islamic-State on Facebook. He was previously convicted for sharing similar propaganda on Instagram and Whatsapp

Prosecutor Diana Wilson told the trial at the Old Bailey: ‘It clearly is an IS publication which glorifies IS fighters and is intended to do so.’

The English-speaking narrator also referred to a British fighter, named as Abu Abdullah al-Habashi, who died near the Syrian border town of Kobani.

The video prompted 23 reactions on Facebook and four comments. In response to one comment that he could not share the video, Miah replied: ‘It seems like the privacy settings has changed to private bro.’

Following his arrest at a temporary address in London on November 2 last year, Miah said: ‘It’s weird because I haven’t posted anything.’

Ms Wilson added: ‘The very same day Mr Miah joined the group he posted a video which could be viewed by anyone in the private group.

‘The video includes a black flag that has been adopted by Islamic State and is produced by Al-Hayat media, who produce IS propaganda.’

Jurors at the trial took 10 hours and two minutes to find Miah guilty of a single charge of disseminating a terrorist publication.

Miah had five previous convictions against him for similar offences committed in 2016 and 2017.

In 2016, he posted a terrorist publication relating to IS videos on an earlier Facebook account and in early 2017 he posted further IS videos on Instagram and WhatsApp resulting in two more convictions – he pleaded guilty to those charges.

Judge Anuja Dhir QC called for pre-sentence reports and adjourned sentencing to October 4.

The judge said the previous convictions were ‘highly relevant’ for the pre-sentence reports.

The court also heard that the defendant had a Home Office mentor. The judge said it is important to know about the mentoring and support the defendant was given when he was released from prison.

Following his arrest at a temporary address in London on November 2 last year, Miah said: ‘It’s weird because I haven’t posted anything’

After the verdict, Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command, said: ‘Miah was clearly determined to seek out and share this extremist content online again, even in the knowledge that it could result in a further terrorism conviction.

‘Terrorist propaganda is extremely damaging to those viewing it and to society as a whole, and we work hard with our partners to identify and arrest people like Miah, and to get this kind of harmful content removed from the internet.’

Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: ‘After a thorough investigation by the counter-terrorism police, it was found that Miah had purposely posted a video to a private Facebook group which glorified terrorism.

‘My team at the CPS proved that the contents of this video could encourage someone to commit terrorism offences and that Miah was at least aware of that risk.

‘This is an extremely serious offence and I am pleased that the jury has found Miah guilty today.’

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