British terrorist who tried to join ISIS is released from jail

EXCLUSIVE: British terrorist who tried to join ISIS and whose nephew planned to massacre US airmen is released from jail

• Shazib Khan, 29, from Luton was ‘absolutely committed to the Jihadi creed’ 
• He was jailed in 2016 but has since been released from jail on licence  

A British terrorist who tried to join ISIS and whose nephew planned to massacre US airmen in the UK has been released from jail.

Shazib Khan, then 23, was described as ‘absolutely committed to the Jihadi creed’ by a judge who sentenced him to eight years jail in 2016.

In a chilling summing up, judge Justice Edis said Shazib genuinely intended to do harm and he frequently expressed a desire for martyrdom.

And the judge at Kingston Crown Court said Shazib was more dangerous than his nephew Junead Khan, also jailed at the time.

The judge’s words are more shocking as Junead was convicted of plotting to knife US personnel outside of airbases in the UK.

Shazib Khan, 29, from Luton, left, was described by a judge as ‘absolutely committed to the Jihadi creed’. His nephew, Junead Khan was jailed after he planned a knife attack on US service personnel in Britain

He got life but the sentence was downgraded at the Court of Appeal to a 20-year jail term with five years on licence.

Shazib Khan also had his sentence cut to seven-years and he became eligible for a parole hearing in 2020.

Mail Online can reveal that Shazib, now 29, was released in October 2020 with strict conditions on his movement and who he can contact.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Shazib is no longer in jail and remains free in the UK on licence.

The trial of the two men, both from Luton, shone a light on the worldwide terror threat and the reach of ISIS radicals.

Shazib Khan, then 23, was found guilty in May 2016 of preparing to go to Syria to join ISIS.

He denied the charge, but was convicted of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between 1 August 2014 and 15 July 2015.

The court was told that he had used a messaging service called Kik Messenger to make contact with a number of ISIS fighters in Syria.

Shazib Khan, then 23, was found guilty in May 2016 of preparing to go to Syria to join ISIS. He was jailed for eight years by Kingston Crown Court, but this was reduced by 12 months on appeal 

He made it clear that he wished to travel to Syria to fight.

Over the next few months, he also viewed violent Jihadi videos, including executions of captured soldiers.

In February 2015, Shazib also purchased several items of military clothing and other kit online.

Both Shazib and Junead, who were of Bangladeshi background, were arrested on July 14, 2015.

Delivery driver Junead was found guilty of preparing to go to Syria to join ISIS, and was also convicted of the plot to cause carnage outside a US airbase.

Junead used his job with a pharmaceutical firm as cover to scout United States Air Force bases in East Anglia, his trial heard.

During these trips he drove close to RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk; RAF Feltwell in Norfolk; and RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire.

These are bases operated by the US air force.

Detectives later found he had been exchanging online messages with an ISIS fighter in Syria calling himself Abu Hussain, describing attacking military personnel after faking a road accident.

Junead described how he had missed an opportunity to kill US soldiers on his rounds as a delivery driver.

The message said: ‘When I saw these US soldiers on road it just looked simple but I had nothing on me or would’ve got into an accident with them and made them get out the car.’

His contact replied: ‘That’s what the brother done with Lee Rigby’ – referring to the British soldier murdered in Woolwich in 2013.

Prosecutors claimed Hussain was in fact British-born Junaid Hussain, who was killed in a US drone strike in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa weeks after his link with the planned UK attack was discovered.

After Junead was arrested in July 2015, police found pictures on his phone of him posing in his bedroom with an ISIS-style black flag, which they later found in the attic.

His computer was also found to contain an al-Qaeda bomb manual and Amazon searches for a large combat knife.

Juneaad was found guilty of preparing for an act of terrorism in the UK between May and July 2015.

Sentencing, Mr Justice Edis said: ‘Junead Khan was not far from the commission of the murder to be committed by horrifying method in the street in order to create terror and terrorist propaganda in this country.

‘His offence was so serious that a life sentence must be imposed.’

Despite the more serious nature of Junead’s conviction, judge Edis was scathing about the role played by Shazib.

CLICK TO READ MORE: British Jihadi who searched prostitutes online planned Lee Rigby-style terror attack

He said that Shazib was more intelligent than Junead , thoroughly dishonest and manipulative and ‘absolutely committed to the Jihadi creed.’

In the Court of Appeal in 2016, Junead had his life sentence changed to a 20-year term. He remains in jail with no parole hearing listed.

The Parole Board told MailOnline: ’We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Shazib Khan following an oral hearing in October 2020.

‘Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

‘A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

‘Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.

‘Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing.

‘It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.

‘Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.’

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