Brothers jailed after planning to travel to Afghanistan to join IS branch

Two brothers who admitted planning to travel to Afghanistan to join a branch of so-called Islamic State have been handed extended sentences of imprisonment due to their deep-rooted extremist views.

Muhammad Abdul Haleem Heyder Khan, 21, and 18-year-old Muhammad Hamzah Heyder Khan pleaded guilty in July to preparing for acts of terrorism.

The siblings, who admitted their guilt by changing their pleas during a Birmingham Crown Court trial, were sentenced by Judge Melbourne Inman KC on Friday.

Haleem Heyder Khan was jailed for 10 years while his younger brother was given an eight-year custodial sentence. Both were sentenced to an extended period on licence of four years.

Their trial was told they had become “increasingly radicalised” over the course of 2022, bought clothes and equipment ahead of a planned trip to Afghanistan to join the terrorist organisation known as Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP), and completed application forms to join Islamic State (IS).

IS was proscribed by the Home Secretary in 2014 and ISKP is recognised as one of its “regional branches”, the court heard.

The two men were arrested at their home in Ward End, Birmingham, on November 2 last year.

Explaining the sentences to the brothers, Judge Inman said: “It is clear that by last year each of you had become deeply radicalised and were intent on furthering your extreme beliefs through terrorist action.

“Up until trial it is a very relevant fact that you were both advancing a completely dishonest account that you did not hold any extreme views.

“There clearly remains a significant risk that you will cause serious harm by the commission of a further specified offence or offences and I must ensure that the public are properly protected against that risk.

“I consider it necessary to impose an extended sentence of imprisonment in each of your cases which means that there will be an extended licence period in each case of four years.”