Ali Harbi Ali, 26, stabbed Amess to death on October 15, 2021, fueled by Islamic State propaganda and spent at least two years seeking a lawmaker to assassinate him. Ali was being radicalized in 2014 at the same time as he was passing through Prevent, the official British anti-radicalization program. The Guardian understands that in 2015, while Ali was a supporter of terrorist violence, Prevent considered that he was not a significant threat of terrorist violence and his case was closed. Ames died just hours after a church attack in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, as he underwent surgery to advise those from his constituency in Southend West. Ali was arrested on stage for posing as a voter to win a date. He told police after his arrest that he supported IS and selected Amess, whose details of surgery in the constituency, including location and time, were advertised online. Amess, 69, was stabbed 21 times and died in church before paramedics rushed him to hospital. A court in Old Bailey, central London, has convicted Ali of killing Amess and plotting further attacks on lawmakers after 20 minutes of deliberation. He refused to stand as the unanimous decisions were issued. Ali Harbi Ali arrested by police after the assassination of MP David Amess – video Ali from Kentish, north London, took a train to Essex and made an appointment at the constituency operating room with the sole purpose of killing Amess. He lied to Amess’s assistants that he had recently moved to Essex. As soon as he entered the room with Ames, Ali received a call, apologized, got up and pulled a knife out of his pocket and launched a frantic knife attack. As Amess was dying, Ali sent a note from his phone justifying his actions on his WhatsApp contacts and stayed in the church. He did not try to attack anyone else, despite plenty of time and opportunities. Ali Harbi Ali spent at least two years looking for an MP to assassinate. Photo: Metropolitan Police / PA A man who entered the church shortly after the knife saw Ali standing holding a knife in his right hand, saying, “I want to kill David, I want everyone to die.” Ali was on the phone and the witness could hear a female voice saying, “What did you do?”, To which Ali replied that he had done it because of Syria and that he wanted to be shot and killed. The man asked Ali why he did it and he replied: “I wanted to kill David and every MP who voted for bombings in Syria, I wanted to die, be shot and become a hero.” After his arrest, Ali told police he wanted police officers to shoot him and rushed to them. Instead, as soon as he realized that the first police officers on the scene were unarmed, he heard their order to drop his knife. Ali Harbi Ali says his sister’s tears made him throw a knife – video He had been planning an attack for two years, since May 2019, supposedly outraged by Western actions in Syria. He had made reconnaissances with other lawmakers, even searching Michael Gove’s home. He roamed the buildings of Parliament many times looking for an opportunity to strike. Counterterrorism officials believe he acted alone. Ali had visited MP Mike Freer’s office in north London and seen him looking out of a window. Searches of his electronic devices showed inquiries about MPs, including Dominic Raab. Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer and Ben Wallace. Amess’s assassination shocked and angered members of parliament. He was known as a diligent member of parliament for 38 years in parliament. Jurors were told the killing was an “attack on democracy.” The question of whether the level of danger that Ali was pregnant with was properly assessed may be a matter for the investigation into Ames’s death, which is expected at a future date. As soon as Ali was referred to Prevent, it was estimated that he was sufficiently concerned that he was being watched by the Channel’s program – intended for those at greatest risk of radicalization. Police and security sources have given little details about his involvement with Prevent, which was first revealed by the Guardian. Each year, a small percentage of the thousands listed on Prevent are then referred to the Channel program for more intensive support. DCS Dominic Murphy said after the verdicts: “He spent some time at Prevent and then left Prevent and, by his own admission, continued to operate secretly for many years, shaping his plan and recognizing and focusing his efforts on many Members. “ A government-mandated review of Prevent is expected to be published this month or next. Ali will be sentenced on Wednesday and the Crown may ask the court to impose a life sentence, which means he will never be released. Justice Sweeney said the jury had faced scary facts and fired them for a decade, adding: “This is a case that none of us will ever forget.”
