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A United Kingdom court on Tuesday acquitted MQM supremo Altaf Hussain in a trial on charges of inciting violence and encouraging terrorism in Karachi after a majority verdict of 10-2 was returned by jurors.
On the third day of deliberations at the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court, the jury was directed to reach a majority decision after failing to reach a unanimous verdict. After nine hours, the jury found Hussain not guilty on two counts.
Hussain was charged with "encouraging terrorism" in an incendiary speech relayed from the United Kingdom to his followers in Pakistan on Aug 22, 2016. He was arrested and released on bail before charges were filed in 2019, three years after Scotland Yard launched an investigation into speeches made in the UK that allegedly encouraged violence in Karachi.
The indictment had been split into two separate counts, both relating to the offence of “encouraging terrorism”, contrary to section 1(2) of the Terrorism Act (TACT) 2006.
Hussain had pleaded not guilty to both counts.
The charge as stated by the UK police was that Hussain had “on August 22, 2016 published a speech to crowds gathered in Karachi, Pakistan which were likely to be understood by some or all of the members of the public to whom they were published as a direct or indirect encouragement to them to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and at the time he published them, intended them to be so encouraged, or was reckless as to whether they would be so encouraged”.
The Met Police at the time had also said: “Hussain was previously arrested on 11 June [2019] on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting offences contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007. He was released on bail and subsequently charged as above.”
Arguments in the trial had concluded last week. Although it was initially expected that Hussain would take the stand, ultimately his counsel shared with the court that he decided against it.
Justice May had said that Hussain’s decision was his right and that the jury could conclude that he did not give evidence at trial to undermine and contradict his speeches.
The MQM founder has lived in self-imposed exile in London since the early 1990s, when he applied for asylum. He was later granted British citizenship. From London, Hussain has played an active role in politics, regularly broadcasting political speeches to his followers in Karachi.
