Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 8, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleTwo men are on trial in the UK for an alleged Islamic State-inspired plot targeting the Jewish community. The trial is expected to last 12 weeks.
LONDON (Reuters) -Two men plotted an Islamic State-inspired attack on the Jewish community in northwest England with the aim of "killing hundreds of innocent people", British prosecutors said on Wednesday at the start of their trial.
Walid Saadaoui, 38, and Amar Hussein, 52, are charged with preparing terrorist acts, while Walid Saadaoui's brother Bilel Saadaoui, 36, is charged with failing to disclose information about acts of terrorism.
All three have pleaded not guilty and are on trial at Preston Crown Court. Judge Mark Wall told jurors that the case had nothing to do with last week's deadly attack on a synagogue in Manchester and the timing of the trial was coincidental.
Prosecutors say Walid Saadaoui and Hussein had "embraced the views of the so-called Islamic State ... (and) were prepared to risk their own lives" in order to become martyrs.
DEFENDANTS PLANNING 'UNTOLD HARM' SAYS PROSECUTOR
Walid Saadaoui had arranged for two assault rifles, an automatic pistol and ammunition to be smuggled into Britain, with a further three weapons and more ammunition to be delivered, when he was arrested in May 2024, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu said.
Sandhu said the assault rifles were similar to those used in a 2015 attack in Paris which killed 130 people, and were "capable of causing untold harm".
"Untold harm was precisely what Walid Saadaoui had planned to cause, together with the defendant Amar Hussein," Sandhu said, before he was interrupted by Hussein shouting from the dock: "How many babies?"
Sandhu said that Walid Saadaoui and Hussein's plan was to "identify a mass gathering of Jewish people whom they could attack", with a third man they thought was called "Farouk".
"In addition, they intended to kill any law enforcement or police officers who got in their way," Sandhu said.
He told the jury that Walid Saadaoui and Hussein were arrested because "Farouk", who they thought "wanted to kill hundreds of innocent people just as they did", was in fact an undercover operative.
Sandhu said Bilel Saadaoui was not planning to take part in an attack, but "sympathised with the views of the Islamic State" and had been given access to money by his brother Walid to look after his family after his death.
The trial is due to take up to 12 weeks.
(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Ros Russell)
Terrorism financing refers to the act of providing financial support to individuals or groups that engage in terrorist activities. This can include funding for operations, training, or recruitment efforts.
Islamic finance is a financial system that operates in accordance with Islamic law (Sharia). It prohibits interest (riba) and promotes risk-sharing, ethical investments, and social justice.
Financial crime encompasses a range of illegal activities that involve the manipulation of financial systems for personal gain, including fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing.
A central bank is a national financial institution that manages a country's currency, money supply, and interest rates. It also oversees the banking system and implements monetary policy.
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