Woman, 39, who sent footage of dead children is jailed for five years
Woman, 39, who sent footage of dead children and ISIS propaganda videos encouraging acts of terrorism to an undercover police officer is jailed for five years
- Woman who shared ISIS videos to undercover officer is jailed for over five years
- Aaminah Amatullah sent footage of of dying women and children to the officer
- 38-year-old used encrypted messages to send ISIS propaganda, the court heard
- She was found guilty following trial and today jailed at Birmingham Crown Court
A woman who shared ISIS propaganda videos depicting dead bodies of children has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.
Aaminah Amatullah, 38, was caught when she sent an undercover police officer the horrific footage of dying and injured women and children – which she thought was an online friend.
A court heard she used encrypted Telegram messages to send the videos of Islamic State fighters encouraging terrorism against Kafirs, non-believers, in their home lands.
Amatullah was convicted in December of two offences of disseminating terrorist publications, contrary to the 2006 Terrorism Act.
A jury at Birmingham Crown Court was told Amatullah, of Livingstone Road, Handsworth, was arrested and charged in November 2020 with two counts of distributing a terrorist publication under section two of the Terrorism Act 2006.
She denied the charges but was found guilty following a trial and was today jailed at Birmingham Crown Court for five-and-a-half years.
Aaminah Amatullah (pictured) , 38, of Handsworth, Birmingham, shared ISIS propaganda videos depicting dead bodies of children was was today jailed for five-and-a-half years
The trial was told two videos distributed within four days by the defendant, who had no previous convictions, showed images of dead bodies, including children, after a battle to retake the IS stronghold of Al-Baghuz in Syria.
The videos also urged extremists to ‘target them on the streets’ and included a speech encouraging terrorism by the leader of IS.
Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Paul Farrer QC accepted Amatullah had been suffering from an emotionally unstable personality disorder, as well as anxiety and depression.
He told Amatullah: ‘Having heard the evidence presented to the jury, I have no doubt that by 2016 you held an extreme Islamic mindset.
‘You believed that you were sending (one of the videos) to a female Muslim convert living in Northampton who shared your views.
‘You intended to encourage terrorism – one of your social media contacts was arrested for terrorist offences in the Philippines.’
The judge said of Amatullah’s mental health issues and previous personal problems: ‘I accept that history and conclude that your vulnerability may well have played a part in your radicalisation.’
Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Paul Farrer QC accepted Amatullah had been suffering from an emotionally unstable personality disorder, as well as anxiety and depression. Pictured: Birmingham Crown Court
But he added: ‘Your actions demonstrated that you are a committed extremist.’
West Midlands Police said Amatullah had shared extremist mindset material online over several social platforms.
Chief Superintendent Kenny Bell, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing West Midlands CTU, said: ‘We cannot underestimate the dangerous nature of extremist propaganda and the influence it can have; which is why it is so important to hold to account those who share with others such social media posts.
‘Communities defeat terrorism, and it remains vitally important that the public reports any suspicious activity to police.
‘We can only succeed where we have the support of the public, and communities have shown time and time again that they are united in their rejection of those who wish to divide us, and spread hate in the name of extremism.’
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