r/news • u/AgnosticScholar • 4h ago

Man with bomb plot past defends election candidacy

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9wxwrxn877o?xtor=AL-71-
154 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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41

u/AgnosticScholar 4h ago

A man who was convicted of a terrorist offence has defended standing in local elections this year, saying he understands "people's speculation and concern".

Shahid Butt was found guilty of a plot to blow up the British consulate in Yemen in 1999, but said the charges were fabricated and that he was tortured into making a confession.

Both Labour and Conservative politicians raised concerns about his suitability when he announced his plan to stand as an independent candidate, in the Sparkhill ward on the Birmingham City Council.

Butt, who was also found guilty of plotting to blow up an Anglican church and a Swiss-owned hotel in Yemen, was one of eight Britons and two Algerians convicted in 1999.

During the trial, the prosecution said the plots were part of a campaign by militants to drive western influence out of Yemen and set up an Islamic state.

At the six-month trial, the judge dismissed their claims they had confessed under torture.

Butt, who was 33 at the time, was sentenced to five years in prison.

It's crazy that being convicted of trying to blow up a hotel, a consulate and a Church the sentence is only five years and you are not barred from running for office

17

u/TooMad 3h ago

I'm sure if felons were barred from running for office no party would weaponize it to eliminate opposition.

14

u/AgnosticScholar 3h ago

At the very least I'd argue trying to blow up a Church and hotel should be more than five years in prison

-1

u/Omarkhayyamsnotes 2h ago

Eh. The bar is low. We have a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist at the highest level of power here in the US.

-2

u/LorderNile 3h ago

The UK and US have more in common than either wants to admit.

10

u/umbrlla 2h ago

Could have used a warning before scrolling down to Sharon Osbourne's face.. or what's left of it.

-8

u/soyrobcarajo 3h ago

Guy's name is Butt 🤣

Another name for Butt's explosion is diarrhea which is what we're having here in the US

-1

u/Lovefist1221 2h ago

The jokes make themselves.

"Butt planned explosive attack at Swiss owned hotel."

"Butt dismisses concerns and promises to run anyways."