26-year-old sentenced for promoting terrorism online

A 26 year-old man from Cleethorpes has been given a 15-year extended sentence for encouraging terrorism and sharing terrorist material.

Mohammed Mahfuz Ahmed from Humberside was found guilty at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025 of one offence of Encouraging Terrorism, contrary to section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and four offences of Disseminating Terrorist Publications, contrary to Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006.

Ahmed received an extended sentence, so he will serve ten years in custody and five years on licence. He will be subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order for five years and a Terrorism Notification Order for 30 years when he is released.

An investigation was led by the Counter Terrorism Policing North East in April 2024, that uncovered a deep-seated extremist mindset and a determination to share terrorist material online, which included content promoting violent jihad and official Daesh magazines and propaganda.

Ahmed shared material online that opening encouraged murder and acts of violence, as well as, on one occasion, adding his own commentary to a post identifying new and ‘easy’ targets, demanding his followers to ‘Answer the Call’.

He was careful to avoid the attention of social media moderators, and created new accounts when his current ones were banned. He used five different accounts over a five-month period, gathering more than 1,300 followers and received in excess of 14,000 likes in response to his content.

Detective chief superintendent James Dunkerley, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Ahmed was persistent and determined in his efforts to reach as many people as possible with his posts, which often included graphic content and glorified acts of terrorism. He went to considerable lengths to seek out and share material that could not easily be found on mainstream online platforms, using hashtags to appeal to a wider audience and encourage more followers.

“The potential impact of his actions should don’t be underestimated. By sharing Daesh propaganda, he has promoted their cause and intentionally extended the reach and influence of their ideology.

“Sharing extremist material online is not a victimless crime and may inspire others to act. We are working tirelessly alongside our partners to remove this content and identifying those who seek to legitimise terrorism in this way. If you come across extreme material online, please help us to limit the harm by reporting it at ww.gov.uk/act.”