'British Go to Hell': Public Gallery Erupts as Student Inspired by Al Qaeda Who Tried to Kill MP Is Jailed for Life
MAIL ONLINE: A courtroom erupted in protest today after a student who tried to murder a Labour MP was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years.

Roshonara Choudhry, 21, stabbed Stephen Timms twice in the stomach after being inspired by a radical Al Qaeda cleric linked to the air cargo bomb plot.

Her attack on the former Treasury minister is thought to be the first Al Qaeda-inspired attempt to assassinate a politician on British soil.

After the sentence was passed, a group of men began shouting in the public gallery 'Allahu akbar' ('God is great'), 'British go to hell' and 'Curse the judge'. A demonstration was also taking place outside the court.

Choudhry knifed East Ham MP Mr Timms as he held a constituency surgery at the Beckton Globe community centre in east London on May 14 after watching online jihadi sermons by US-born extremist Anwar al-Awlaki.

Mr Justice Cooke, sentencing Choudhry, said: 'You said you ruined the rest of your life. You said it was worth it. You said you wanted to be a martyr'.

The judge said Choudhry would continue to be a danger to Members of Parliament for the foreseeable future.

The judge said that if Choudhry had succeeded in killing Mr Timms he would have given her a whole-life sentence, meaning she would never be released. >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, November 30, 2010

SWALK
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A Dubai appeals court has upheld a one-month prison sentence for a British couple convicted of kissing in a restaurant.

British pair caught kissing in public in Dubai, Charlotte Adams and Ayman Najafi. Photos: The Sunday Telegraph
Ayman Najafi and Charlotte Adams – both in their 20s – were arrested after an Emirati woman claimed they exchanged a passionate kiss in a restaurant where she and her daughter were having dinner.

The pair landed in court after she complained about the public kiss, which the couple insisted was just a peck on the cheek. They were arrested in November and convicted of inappropriate behaviour and illegal drinking.

Cosmopolitan Dubai has the most relaxed social codes in the conservative Gulf, but authorities enforce strict decency laws and regularly crack down on people accused of pushing the limits, which can include everything from wearing a mini skirt to losing one's temper in traffic.

Najafi and Adams attended Sunday's hearing, but did not speak. Their lawyer, Khalaf al-Hosany, told the court in a previous hearing that they kissed on the cheek as a greeting and "never intended to break the law."

Appeals court judge Iysar Fouad upheld the conviction, the jail time and a fine of 1,000 dirhams – about £180 – each. They will be deported after serving their sentences. Dubai court upholds one-month jail sentence for kissing couple >>> | Easter Sunday, April 04, 2010

Dubaï : Un mois de prison pour une bise
20MINUTES.ch: Une cour d'appel a confirmé dimanche à Dubaï la peine d'un mois de prison prononcée contre un couple britannique accusé de s'être embrassé en public.

Ayman Najafi et Charlotte Adams, qui ont tous deux entre 20 et 30 ans, ont été arrêtés en novembre dernier lorsqu'une femme des Emirats les a accusés d'avoir échangé un baiser passionné dans un restaurant où elle dînait avec sa fille.

Ils ont été inculpés de comportement inapproprié et de consommation illégale d'alcool.

Ayman Najafi et Charlotte Adams ont simplement échangé une bise sur la joue pour se saluer et «n'ont jamais eu l'intention de violer la loi», avait déclaré leur avocat Khalas al-Hosany lors d'une audience précédente. >>> ap | Dimanche 04 Avril 2010

Iran May Ease American Reporter's Sentence
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran may reconsider an eight-year jail term for an American journalist during her appeal, the judiciary spokesman said Tuesday in an indication her sentence will be commuted.

The statement was the latest hint Iran could be backing off from the imprisonment of 31-year-old Roxana Saberi on charges of spying for the U.S. On Monday, the judiciary chief ordered a full investigation into the case, a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Tehran's chief prosecutor to ensure Ms. Saberi be allowed a full defense during her appeal.

The case has been a source of tension with the U.S. at a time when President Barack Obama is trying to open a dialogue with Iran to end a decades-long diplomatic standoff. The U.S. has called the accusations against Ms. Saberi, a dual American-Iranian citizen, baseless and demanded her release. >>> Associated Press | Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Afghanistan: 20-Year Sentence for Journalist Upheld
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: Politicized Case Shows Grave Threat to Freedom of Expression

Afghan policemen escort Sayed Parwez Kambakhsh after he leaves court in Kabul. © 2008 Reuters
(New York) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai should issue a pardon for Parwez Kambakhsh, a student and part-time journalist, whose 20-year prison sentence for blasphemy has been upheld by the Supreme Court, Human Rights Watch said today. The Supreme Court decision was the final stage in a highly politicized case that has repeatedly flouted Afghan and international law and highlighted the lack of professionalism among the Afghan judiciary.

The court upheld the sentence on February 11, 2009, without informing Kambakhsh or his lawyer, or allowing the lawyer to submit arguments in Kambakhsh's defense. On March 7, the lawyer, Azfal Nooristani, discovered that the decision had been made.

"The Supreme Court represented the last hope that Parwez Kambakhsh would receive a fair hearing, but once again justice was denied," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Kambakhsh has committed no crime. Now it is up to President Karzai to act on principle and free him." >>> | Tuesday, March 10, 2009

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH:
Afghanistan: Overturn Death Sentence of Jailed Journalist – Blasphemy Case Illustrates Failings of Legal System >>> | Saturday, January 31, 2009

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Dutch Lawmaker, Charged With Insulting Islam, Fears Prison Sentence
FOX NEWS: A member of parliament in the Netherlands who has been charged with "insulting" Muslims says he fears he will be found guilty and sent to prison in only a few months.

An appeals court on Wednesday overturned a previous decision by prosecutors not to charge Geert Wilders, and ordered that he stand trial.

"The decision of the court today was so strong that there is a real chance unfortunately that there will be a guilty verdict," Wilders told FOXNews.com. "In fact, it was so bluntly motivated that it already looks like a verdict instead of just ordering the public prosecutor to start a trial." >>> By Joel Mowbray | Thursday, January 22, 2009

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