Man shared ISIS terrorist videos under false name

Faseh Sajid was 18 when he began sharing graphic videos on Telegram

A man has been found guilty of sharing videos glorifying terrorism on an encrypted chat group.

Faseh Sajid, of Green Croft, Bristol, was 18 when he began posting videos on Telegram featuring armed executions and Islamic State fighters.

Now aged 21, Sajid had denied six counts of disseminating terrorist material, claiming he did not intend for it to incite acts of violence.

On Thursday, a jury at the Old Bailey found him guilty of five of the charges and not guilty of a sixth.

During his trial, jurors were shown videos Sajid had created and shared under a false name, with the most gruesome images of killings blurred out.

The court also heard details of how Sajid had sent a video published by the Al Qaeda media wing which encouraged terrorism against the West, featuring imagery of the 9/11 attacks and Osama Bin Laden.

The material was uncovered after officers from the Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) seized a number of electronic devices when they searched his home in Speedwell on November 21 2022, the court heard.

He had joined the chat group in February 2022.

Prosecutor Frederick Hookway suggested Sajid had made an attempt at "tactical deniability" by distancing himself from the material he was engaging with and using a pseudonym.

He stated in one of the chats that this was to avoid him getting arrested.

'Horrific videos'

One thread featured a picture of an IS fighter alongside the words: “In case of investigation by any federal entity or similar, I do not have any involvement with this group or with the people in it,” the court heard.

Mr Hookaway told jurors this demonstrated Sajid understood the potential impact of what was being discussed and shared.

Det Ch Supt Olly Wright, Head of CTPSE, said: “Sajid shared a large number of horrific videos including graphic beheadings, ISIS footage and other content which reflected his extreme Islamist mindset.

“He attempted to cover his tracks in his social media messages but it is clear much of the material he sent could be defined as terrorist publications.

"The harm caused by sharing this type of content with others cannot be underestimated. It can be picked up by others and this dangerous rhetoric can then be spread far and wide.

“If you know someone who is sharing concerning content, it’s really important you report it to keep our communities safe.”

Sajid will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 13 September.