PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal here today upheld the 13-year prison sentence on a former food stall worker who had pleaded guilty to three terrorism-related offences last year.
Azizi Abdullah, 21, appealed to the court for his jail term to be reduced on the ground that he only supported terrorism through a social media website.
Azizi, who was unrepresented, informed the court that he never met any Islamic State (IS) members nor did he join the group to participate in terrorism activities or had any intention to travel outside the country.
However, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Zain Ibrahim said the jail sentence imposed on Azizi was appropriate as the offence committed involved a threat to national security and public order.
The three-men bench chaired by Justice Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid, who sat together with Justices Datuk Stephen Chung Hian Guan and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah dismissed the appeal by Azizi.
Justice Umi Kalthum said the court unanimously dismissed Azizi’s appeal and upheld the High Court decision in imposing the 13 years jail term on him.
Azizi had pleaded guilty at the High Court to three charges related to terrorism offences and he was sentenced to imprisonment on April 25, last year.
He was sentenced to 13 years’ jail for the first charge of giving support to terrorism, involving the use of explosive material with intent to further the ideology and threaten public order through a “telegram” application in his cellphone and he committed the offence at F15, Kg Baru Lubok Buntar, Serdang, Bandar Baru, Kedah between March 25, 2016 and June 29, 2016.
Azizi received four years for possession of items related to IS and another four years for the possession of images related to IS in his phone, at about 12pm on June 29, 2016.
The High Court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, from the date of Azizi’s arrest, June 29, 2016.
According to the facts of the case, Azizi, was a member of a “Telegram” group called “Gagak Hitam” (black crow) and “Amanah vs PAS” and was active in communication and had supported IS, between March 25, 2016 and June 29, 2016, and his statements in the groups had elements of threat. — Bernama
