Terror-accused man posted image of severed head on Twitter, jury told

Ajmal Shahpal is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court

A man posted an image of a terrorism victim's severed head on Twitter while encouraging others to decapitate anyone who insulted Islam, a trial has heard.

Ajmal Shahpal is alleged to have praised the killer of a French teacher for being "as brave as a lion".

He is also said to have called for anyone who insults Islam to "be killed immediately".

The 41-year-old, of Birkin Avenue in Radford, Nottingham, is on trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

He denies two counts of encouraging others to commit, prepare, or instigate acts of terrorism and two alternative charges of the same offence being reckless as to whether such acts would be encouraged.

'Encouraged' attacks

Jurors were told Mr Shahpal - who is originally from Kashmir - published tweets on his open account on 26 September 2020, a day after Charlie Hebdo's former office in Paris was targeted by Zaheer Hassan Mehmood.

Dan Pawson-Pounds, prosecuting, said the tweets called Mehmood "a 'ghazi' or holy warrior", and said he had attacked "four pigs of France, the creators of the insolent sketches".

Mr Shahpal is said to have subsequently praised other extremists, including the man who attacked teacher Samuel Paty, who was killed on 16 October 2020.

"He also saw fit to tweet an image of the severed head of Samuel Paty lying on the street, saying that 'the insolent had been sent to hell' and describing Mr Paty's murderer as 'as brave as a lion'," Mr Pawson-Pounds added.

Samuel Paty was killed after receiving threats when he showed cartoons of Mohammed to a class

Mr Pawson-Pounds said the defendant was using social media to encourage others to engage in terrorism.

"He did that by publishing tweets on his Twitter account which specifically encouraged others to behead those who he believed had insulted his religion, his religion being Islam," he said.

"I hope that I hardly need say that this is not a case about mainstream Islam - a worldwide, peaceful religion with nearly two billion followers.

"The focus of this case is on the beliefs and the actions of the defendant, and others he was in contact with or referred to, that is part of that tiny, tiny minority of Muslims who have used religion to justify violence against others."

The court was told Mr Shahpal was arrested at home in March 2021, and remained silent when questioned by officers.

Jurors heard he admitted sending tweets, but denied intending to encourage others to commit acts of terrorism.

The trial continues.