https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...9?shareToken=2ac68c8c6b6e7adf6ed151d64de32537
The alleged terrorist killer of Sir David Amess has told a court that he wanted to kill a politician to stop him from “harming Muslims” in Syria.
Ali Harbi Ali, 26, told the jury at the Old Bailey that he wanted to “make hijrah”, to travel and fight for Islamic State, but he found it too difficult to get there.
He is accused of stabbing Amess, the Conservative MP, more than 20 times during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 last year. The prosecution alleges that he had planned an attack for years and considered other MPs including the cabinet minister Michael Gove and Mike Freer, the Tory MP for Finchley & Golders Green.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Ali said he decided to kill Amess because of his voting record on foreign policy including airstrikes in Syria.
“I decided to do it because I felt that if I could kill someone who made decisions to kill Muslims, it could prevent further harm to those Muslims,” Ali said. “He voted previously in parliament, not just him . . . I decided if I couldn’t make hijrah, if I couldn’t help the Muslims [in Syria], I would do something here.”
Asked what difference killing Amess would make, Ali said: “For one, he can’t vote again. If he had previous for doing votes like that he won’t do it in the future, and perhaps send a message to his colleagues.”
…I thought if I couldn’t go join Islamic State, I should try and do something here to help Muslims here.”
Earlier Ali told the court that he was contacted by police in 2014… The alleged terrorist said he was interviewed by police who asked him about Twitter accounts and how he felt about the government. “I [would just] nod, say yes and they’ll leave you alone afterwards and they did,” Ali said.
He told the jury that he was supposed to have two meetings but “they [the police] were happy with the first one”….
Asked whether he regretted stabbing Amess to death, he said: “No.”
Ali told the court he had been prepared to die fighting for Isis in Syria and that he would not have minded if the terrorist group had claimed responsibility for the attack on Amess.
He said: “If you encourage someone to an act of jihad, it’s a good thing.” Asked whether he was proud of his actions, he said: “To be proud of an act of jihad is a dangerous thing.”
Ali said he carried out the attack “for Islam” and that “if Islamic State didn’t exist, I would have done the same thing”.
Earlier he said he would not describe the killing as murder because “I don’t think it’s unlawful”….
The alleged terrorist killer of Sir David Amess has told a court that he wanted to kill a politician to stop him from “harming Muslims” in Syria.
Ali Harbi Ali, 26, told the jury at the Old Bailey that he wanted to “make hijrah”, to travel and fight for Islamic State, but he found it too difficult to get there.
He is accused of stabbing Amess, the Conservative MP, more than 20 times during a constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, on October 15 last year. The prosecution alleges that he had planned an attack for years and considered other MPs including the cabinet minister Michael Gove and Mike Freer, the Tory MP for Finchley & Golders Green.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Ali said he decided to kill Amess because of his voting record on foreign policy including airstrikes in Syria.
“I decided to do it because I felt that if I could kill someone who made decisions to kill Muslims, it could prevent further harm to those Muslims,” Ali said. “He voted previously in parliament, not just him . . . I decided if I couldn’t make hijrah, if I couldn’t help the Muslims [in Syria], I would do something here.”
Asked what difference killing Amess would make, Ali said: “For one, he can’t vote again. If he had previous for doing votes like that he won’t do it in the future, and perhaps send a message to his colleagues.”
…I thought if I couldn’t go join Islamic State, I should try and do something here to help Muslims here.”
Earlier Ali told the court that he was contacted by police in 2014… The alleged terrorist said he was interviewed by police who asked him about Twitter accounts and how he felt about the government. “I [would just] nod, say yes and they’ll leave you alone afterwards and they did,” Ali said.
He told the jury that he was supposed to have two meetings but “they [the police] were happy with the first one”….
Asked whether he regretted stabbing Amess to death, he said: “No.”
Ali told the court he had been prepared to die fighting for Isis in Syria and that he would not have minded if the terrorist group had claimed responsibility for the attack on Amess.
He said: “If you encourage someone to an act of jihad, it’s a good thing.” Asked whether he was proud of his actions, he said: “To be proud of an act of jihad is a dangerous thing.”
Ali said he carried out the attack “for Islam” and that “if Islamic State didn’t exist, I would have done the same thing”.
Earlier he said he would not describe the killing as murder because “I don’t think it’s unlawful”….
