Men guilty of distributing terror material

Friends Amir El-Harith (left) and Shaan Farooq were both arrested in August 2022

Two men have been convicted of distributing terrorism material in support of Islamic State (IS).

Shaan Farooq, 19, from Saltley in Birmingham, had a phone, laptop, tablet and iPad containing extremist material and images which he intended to distribute to encourage terrorism, police said.

He was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court for three counts of intentionally distributing terrorism material after previously pleaded guilty to possessing terrorism material from May to July 2022.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 11 December.

At the time of his arrest in August 2022, his 20-year-old friend Amir El-Harith was also arrested at his Smethwick home on suspicion of terrorism offences relating to IS.

El-Harith was sentenced to six and a half years in prison in July for three counts of encouraging terrorism between April and May 2023, when he published videos on Instagram.

The details of his case can only now be revealed after reporting restrictions around his trial were lifted following Farooq’s conviction, police said.

El-Harith was sentenced to three years for three charges of dissemination of terrorist publications after he transmitted videos between April and June 2022 to encourage others to commit, prepare or instigate acts of terrorism with the material relating to IS.

He was sentenced to six and a half years for three counts of encouraging terrorism between April and May 2023, for publishing the videos on Instagram.

He pleaded guilty in December last year to two counts of possessing terrorism information showing how to create explosive substances, and was sentenced to three years and 10 months for each count.

All sentences are to run concurrently.

Detectives said he continued to commit offences and access extremist material after his arrest and while on bail.

El-Harith also received a four year serious crime prevention order (SCPO) which will begin on his release in addition to a four year extended licence period.