Man jailed for trying to frame brother-in-law as terrorist and paedophile after marriage breakdown

Police condemn 'despicable' campaign for taking up resources amid heightened terror threat

Shohidul Islam, 26, was jailed for a 'despicable' campaign to frame his brother-in-law as a terrorist and paedophile (Metropolitan Police)

A man who attempted to frame his brother-in-law as a terrorist and paedophile after his arranged marriage broke down has been jailed for more than five years.

Police condemned Shohidul Islam for taking vital resources away from the fight against terrorism with his “despicable” online smear campaign.

The Old Bailey heard he targeted his wife’s brother, Mohammed Razaul, after “falling to pieces” because he was unable to earn enough money to bring her and their son from Bangladesh to his home in Bradford.

In revenge, he set up fake social media profiles in the name of Mohammed Razaul Karim that aimed to depict the innocent man as an Isis supporter, bomb plotter and child molester.

Islam, 26, originally denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty on the fourth day of his trial, admitting two counts of reckless encouragement of terrorism, possession of material useful to a terrorist, making a bomb hoax and making indecent images.

He was sentenced to five years and eight months’ imprisonment, while separate charges of making indecent images will be kept on file.

Judge Rebecca Poulet QC said: “Mercifully, it is certainly unusual conduct.”

She said Mr Karim, the target of the “wicked campaign”, was completely innocent but could have faced “dire consequences” had he come to the attention of authorities.


 Islam was jailed for five years and eight months at the Old Bailey 
 (Getty)

Telling the court that Islam's ex-wife had been “unhappy and afraid” of him at the time, she added: “These five serious offences were, in my judgement, in part chosen by you to cause your wife's brother acute distress, embarrassment and fear and actually placed him at great risk of criminal prosecution.

"In your campaign against him you yourself committed these very offences. Mr Karim has been left scared, upset and hurt."

Islam was also handed a restraining order against further contact with Mr Karim and his family.

Prosecutors told the court Islam’s campaign started during the breakdown of his arranged marriage to Mr Karim's sister, Fahmida Parveen Shuba.

They wed in 2010 but she stayed in Bangladesh and by 2016 their relationship was over.

Police were first contacted in December 2015, when Islam’s former brother-in-law reported that an online video had been posted on YouTube with false allegations that he had been convicted of child sexual offences abroad.

The following month, an email purporting to be from an uncle was sent to police alleging that Mr Karim was manufacturing a homemade “microwave bomb” and planning to target a school.


 Islam had downloaded The Anarchist Cookbook, which contains bomb-making instructions 
 (Conrad Bakker)

Counter-terror detectives launched an urgent investigation that quickly established the claim was a hoax, sparking a probe that identified Islam as the operator of the accounts and saw him arrested at a Jobcentre in Bradford on 19 January last year.

The court heard that Islam had created accounts in the name of his brother-in-law and using his photos on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, then used them to publish comments seemingly praising previous terror attacks in the UK and showing support for Isis.

He also posted what he claimed to be the names and addresses of members of the British armed forces, in an apparent call for others target them with terror attacks.

Evidence uncovered from Islam’s mobile phone, laptop, Sim cards and a top-up card showed he had downloaded terrorist material and set up the fake social media accounts, while researching a school in Canning Town that was the suggested target of the bomb hoax.

Islam had downloaded The Anarchist Cookbook, which includes viable bomb-making instructions that prosecutors suggested Islam may have planned to use.

Downloading and repeatedly viewing terrorist material could become a crime under Government proposals, while a student was charged with terror offences for just possessing the Cookbook.

Islam, an unemployed former call centre worker, lives with his family and was described as mentally “fragile” by his lawyer.

Former call centre worker Islam, who lived with relatives in Hillcote Drive, Bradford, was described by his lawyer as mentally ”fragile“.

Naeem Mian QC said: "He will have to live with the label of being a terrorist - when he is not - and being a sexual deviant - when he is not.

“This is wholly unique, charged with terrorist offences but with no terrorist intent.”

Mr Mian put Islam's behaviour down to his failure to earn the necessary £30,000 to bring his wife to Britain, adding: “Only now does he fully comprehend that which he has done. He recognises it is vile, inexcusable behaviour.

"He was profoundly stupid but he was blinded by that which he was seeking to achieve."

Detectives also found that Islam used his laptop to search for the terrorist propaganda posted and that the YouTube video entitled ”Must watch child abuser, stay away from him” accusing Mr Karim of child sex offences was set up from his IP address.

The court heard that Islam combined normal photos of children with pornography to create sexually explicit images of children, which were sent to relatives in the attempt to frame his brother-in-law.

He also created a profile on pornographic website X Videos in the name of Mr Karim and his wife and posted material on it.

“When detectives spoke with his brother-in-law to ask why he may have been targeted in this way, his only explanation was that Islam was resentful over the break-up of his marriage to his sister,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said.

Commander Dean Haydon, head of Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command, said: “Islam’s actions throughout this whole affair were extremely reckless and utterly despicable. With the current threat level as it is, my officers are busy enough dealing with those who pose a genuine threat, without having to deal with hoax bomb threats and somebody trying to settle a family feud in this way.

“The case against him was so compelling that in the end, Islam was left with little choice other than to plead guilty.

“His actions would have undoubtedly had a great impact on his brother-in-law, who was his intended victim in all of this. I only hope that today’s outcome brings some small comfort to him so that he can begin to put this behind him.”

Additional reporting by PA