LONDON: The man who launched a terror attack near Finsbury Park Mosque in London was on Friday jailed for minimum of 43 years.
Darren Osborne, 48, in June drove a hired vehicle into a group of Muslims gathered around father-of-six Makram Ali, 51, who had collapsed near his home after leaving late-night Ramadan prayers in Finsbury Park.
He killed Ali and injured 12 others, two seriously.
Osborne was on Thursday found guilty of murder and attempted murder at Woolwich Crown Court.
The court heard how Osborne, a father of four, had not previously expressed any extremist views but become “brainwashed” by far-right material online after watching the BBC program “Three Girls,” a drama broadcast last May about events in Rochdale, northern England, where white girls were abused by gangs of mainly British Pakistani men.
Khalid Omar, secretary trustee of Finsbury Park Mosque told Arab News that they welcomed the guilty verdict.
“It does highlight that there is extremism of different forms which need to be faced up … but gives us no extra pleasure knowing there are these type of people in society,” Omar told Arab News on Thursday.
London mosque terror attacker jailed for minimum of 43 years
London mosque terror attacker jailed for minimum of 43 years
Venezuelan activist Javier Tarazona released from prison as US diplomat assumes post
- Human rights activist Javier Tarazona was arrested in July 2021
- He was released shortly after the arrival in Caracas of US charge d’affaires
CARACAS: Venezuelan human rights activist Javier Tarazona, an ally of opposition leader María Corina Machado, was released from prison after the government promised to free political prisoners in an amnesty bill, rights organizations and family members said Sunday.
Tarazona, the director of the Venezuelan nonprofit human rights group FundaRedes, was arrested in July 2021, after reporting to authorities that he had been harassed by national intelligence officials. Two other activists of the group were also detained at the time.
Venezuela’s Foro Penal, a rights group that monitors the situations of political prisoners in the country, said Sunday that 317 people jailed for political reasons had been released as of noon local time Sunday, and 700 others were still waiting to be freed.
“After 1675 days, four years and seven months, this wishful day has arrived. My brother Javier Tarazona is free,” José Rafael Tarazona Sánchez wrote on X. “Freedom for one is hope for all.”
Tarazona was released shortly after the arrival in Caracas of US Charge d’Affaires Laura Dogu, who will reopen the American diplomatic mission after seven years of severed ties. It comes after US President Donald Trump ordered a military action that removed the South American country’s former President Nicolás Maduro from office and brought him to trial in the US
Dogu, who was previously ambassador in Nicaragua and Honduras, arrived in Venezuela one day after the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced an amnesty bill to release political prisoners. That move was one of the key demands of the Venezuelan opposition.
Venezuela’s government had accused Tarazona of terrorism, betraying the nation and hate speech, all frequent accusations it makes against real or potential opposition members. Tarazona was vocal against illegal armed groups on the country’s border with Colombia and their alleged connection to high-ranked members of the Maduro administration.
Amnesty International reported that Tarazona’s health has deteriorated due to lack of medical attention during his time in prison.
“All of Venezuela admires you and respects your bravery and your commitment,” Machado said on X. “You, better than anyone, know that there will be justice in Venezuela. Freedom for all political prisoners.”
Venezuela’s government denies it jails members of the opposition and accuses them of conspiring to bring it down.
