Former College IT technican Babar Ahmad sentenced to 12.5 years in prison

Former College alumnus and IT staff member Babar Ahmad has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison after a long battle by US prosecutors in Connecticut. Ahmad admitted to "conspiracy and providing material to support the Taliban."

This result followed an eight-year legal battle where Ahmad fought against extradition to the US and a further two years spent in the US.

A large amount of the material used during prosecution was produced from Ahmad’s office in College IT.

In December 2013 Ahmad and co-defendant Syed Talha Ahsan admitted to their roles in “Azzam Publications”, the first English language website dedicated to Jihad. At the time, Deirdre Daly, the US Attorney for Connecticut said, “They acknowledged that they solicited funds, recruited personnel and provided additional support for acts of terror, including efforts based out of the United States and solicitations for support that were specifically targeted at US residents”.

This is a good person who does not and will not act in the future to harm other people if they are different from him. He’s not likely to engage in criminal activity again. Judge Janet Hall

Despite prosecutors wishing for a 25-year sentence, the 12-year sentence was issued by a federal court in New Haven, Connecticut. Since Ahmad has already spent 8 years under confinement in the UK (without being formally charged) and a two years in a “Supermax” prison in the US, it has been suggested that with “good behaviour” Ahmad could be released within 13 months.

After sentencing Ahmad will be sent to a prison facility in New York, before being sent back to the UK.

During sentencing, Judge Janet Hall said “It is the court’s conclusion, and I hope I am not wrong, that Mr Ahmad has a low likelihood of recidivism… This is a good person who does not and will not act in the future to harm other people if they are different from him. He’s not likely to engage in criminal activity again.

“What these two men did was, they gave material support ... they wanted material support to flow to the Taliban at a time when the Taliban was protecting Osama bin Laden, at a time when Osama bin Laden was planning and carrying out the 9/11 attacks.”

Ahmad’s supporters have welcomed the sentence. On the “Free Babar Ahmad” facebook page, a statement was released saying, “All praise be to God, today we are finally coming to the end of a very long journey which started over ten years ago. It has been a very difficult and tiresome struggle but at last, we can see light at the end of the tunnel.

We are elated that this matter is now coming to a close and look forward to welcoming Babar home once more after over a decade. “