Man who encouraged terrorism at Brighton mosque has jail sentence reduced
Abubaker Deghayes called for 'jihad by sword' in an address in 2020
A father who was jailed for encouraging terrorism in a speech at his local mosque in Brighton after two of his sons died fighting in Syria has had his sentence reduced at the Court of Appeal.
Abubaker Deghayes promoted "jihad by sword" when he addressed worshippers at the Brighton Mosque and Muslim Community Centre in Dyke Road in November 2020.
Deghayes, originally from Libya, was found guilty after a trial at the Old Bailey of intending to encourage terrorism in his speech to around 50 people, including children and young adults.
In April 2022, the then 54-year-old was sentenced to four years imprisonment with another year on licence.
He brought an appeal against his sentence and, at the Court of Appeal in London on Wednesday, it was reduced to three years imprisonment with an additional year on licence.
At his trial in January 2022, Deghayes, of Saltdean in East Sussex, 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 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 KC, said the sentence needed to be reduced as the judge had wrongly calculated the term.
However, Lord Justice Edis said 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 heard that two of his sons were killed fighting for Islamists in Syria and he lost a third 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.