A STRATFORD woman has been found guilty of multiple terrorism offences after she planned to travel to join Islamic State Khurasan Province in Afghanistan.
Farishta Jami was convicted of two counts of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorism under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006 at Leicester Crown Court today (Thursday).
The jury heard how she was planning to travel to in Afghanistan to martyr herself and the second charge related to her taking her children.
Jami saved £1,200 to pay for one-way flights to Afghanistan for herself and her children and researched available flights to travel to join ISKP.
When detectives searched her address, they seized several devices, sim cards in a bag stuffed down the side of her bed, cash hidden away and found Jami was trying to conceal passports.
The 36-year-old also shared graphic and violent extremist material between September 2022 and January 2024 on social media – posting videos, documents and images as well as participating in various group chats joining multiple pro-Daesh groups and channels.
She was an administrator on several of the groups, overseeing the posting and messaging of the users. Some of the groups had over 700 members and disseminated large amounts of propaganda including instructional videos to make devices so ISKP could see that she was loyal and committed to the cause.
In addition, she researched weaponry and gathered information relating to the assembly and disassembly of an AK47 rifle.
Jami is due to be sentenced tomorrow (Friday).
Head of specialist operations for Warwickshire Police, superintendent Darren Webster, said: “This was a complex case interlinking terrorism and serious criminal offences, and we welcome the outcome today.
“Jami’s actions had the potential for real world implications and the harm they could have caused cannot be underestimated.”
Head of CTP WM detective chief superintendent Alison Hurst added: “Jami expressed a desire to travel as early as July 2023 and by November she had accumulated a significant amount of cash which crystallised her intention to travel.
“In a two-week period at the end of October/early November, she carried out 22 separate searches of flights to Afghanistan. It is notable that a significant number of the searches were for one-way tickets for herself and her children.
“We welcome today’s verdict, Jami was determined to travel to join ISIS, despite claiming she was planning to visit family but we found no evidence of any contact with her family to arrange a visit to see them in Afghanistan or Pakistan.”
