Man who put up ‘gay free zone’ posters in London sentenced over al-Qaida material

Mohammed Hasnath, the man fined for putting up stickers in east London declaring it a ‘gay free zone’ has been jailed for possessing material from terrorist group al-Qaida.

Hasnath had copies of the group’s ‘Inspire’ magazine on a memory stick, PA reports, and was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment under the Terrorism Act.

He was also given a one-month custodial term, to run concurrently, for painting burkhas over images of women in deodorant adverts.

In 2011, Hasnath and a friend had been spotted painting over a scantily clad Kelly Brook on a Lynx hoarding.

Hasnath, 19, of Leamouth, Tower Hamlets, pleaded guilty last year to a public order offence and was fined £100 plus £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge after he put up posters around the area declaring it a ‘gay free zone’.

When told the allegation against him of a public order offence of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour between 11-14 February, Hasnath reportedly said: “But I just put up stickers, I didn’t harass or swear at anybody or anything.”

PA reports prosecutor Alexander Chalk saying a fellow inmate of Hasnath’s at Belmarsh prison had been overheard telling him to “stay squeaky clean” when he left the prison so he could “carry on our work”. The judge was reportedly unable to predict Hasnath’s intentions after his release.

Having already spent 206 days in custody pending today’s ruling, Hasnath is expected to be released next week.

• Dec 01 2023

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