West Yorkshire Police Officer Sentenced for Pro-Hamas Posts on WhatsApp

Social Media · June 5, 2024

A police officer from West Yorkshire, Mohammed Adil, has been handed a community order after admitting to posting images supporting the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the banned terrorist group Hamas, on WhatsApp. The posts were made shortly after the deadly attacks on Israel on October 7. Adil, who is 26 and resides in Wibsey, Bradford, avoided a prison sentence by expressing his intention to retrain and pursue a PhD. He had previously appeared at an earlier court hearing wearing a black and white keffiyeh, a symbol often associated with Palestinian solidarity.

During the court proceedings, Adil conceded that he had shared two images endorsing the al-Qassam Brigades following the attacks that resulted in the death of 1,139 people. At the time, he was a district student officer with West Yorkshire Police and was in the process of completing his "operational competencies," but had not met all the requirements by late October when a review was ordered.

His supervising officer discovered a series of concerning communications on Adil's WhatsApp. On October 20, Adil posted a video depicting Saddam Hussein and rockets being launched with the caption "rockets to Israel." Another video posted on October 28 showed a man speaking in Arabic with English subtitles, referencing purifying the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from "the abomination of the Jews," and "aggressive Zionists." On October 31, the supervising officer noticed another video on Adil's WhatsApp that referred to Yemeni armed forces attacking "positions of the Zionist Israeli regime."

On the same day, a colleague observed an image posted by Adil on his WhatsApp stories, featuring two men wearing headbands with the al-Qassam Brigades logo, accompanied by the words: "Today is the time for the Palestinian people to rise, set their path straight, and establish an independent Palestinian state," attributed to Muhammed Daif, the leader of the al-Qassam Brigades.

On November 4, Adil shared a video of a man with a red and white headscarf and a headband bearing the al-Qassam Brigade logo, overlaid with text attributed to Abu Ubayda, the brigade's spokesman, stating: "We will hold accountable all those who occupied our lands, and Allah will hold accountable all those who remained silent against this occupation and oppression." Another post on November 7 featured a man speaking in Arabic with English subtitles, advocating for Muslims to fight against Jews.

Adil was subsequently suspended, and Counter-Terrorism Policing North East launched an investigation. His phone contained a list of companies to boycott for supporting Israel and memes stating, "Israel to the Arab world is like a cancer to the human body. Arabs should unite to uproot it." One video suggested that the October 7 attacks were carried out by Israeli soldiers.

On May 1, Adil was charged under the Terrorism Act 2000, to which he pleaded guilty the following day. Bridget Fitzpatrick, prosecuting, noted that although Adil's phone contained no other material warranting charges under the Terrorism Act, it did reveal a substantial amount of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli content, with significant references to Hamas and Hezbollah.

The posts were made to Adil's WhatsApp "stories," visible to his 1,092 contacts for 24 hours. The prosecution highlighted that while the posts were not on a public forum, the offense was aggravated by its timing close to the October 7 attacks and the fact that Adil was a police officer.

Adil, dressed in a white shirt and dark tie, confirmed his name, date of birth, and address in court. His defense attorney, Natalie Turner, emphasized his longstanding interest in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and his personal connections to the region. Turner argued that Adil had lost a career he had worked hard for and intended to pursue a new path involving a PhD, which would be hindered by a custodial sentence.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring sentenced Adil to an 18-month community service order and 160 hours of unpaid work, acknowledging the severity of the offenses but recognizing the potential for rehabilitation. Goldspring remarked, "You were a police officer and you should have known better. Quite rightly, the public holds you to a higher standard." He also noted that a custodial sentence could impede Adil's plans for further education and impact his family responsibilities.

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service stated that Adil understood the implications of sharing the images and acknowledged that it would arouse suspicion of supporting a terrorist organization. The Independent Office for Police Conduct confirmed that Adil was currently suspended and that West Yorkshire Police would proceed with formal disciplinary action for gross misconduct.

Credit: Sky News 2024-06-06

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