From X To Prison: Man’s Pro-Terror Posts Spark 5-year Jail Term

A 30-year-old man from Harlow, Zakir Hussain, has been sentenced to over five years in prison for posting inflammatory messages on X that endorsed proscribed terrorist organizations and spewed antisemitic rhetoric, the Metropolitan Police announced.

The case, which culminated in a sentencing at the Old Bailey on June 26, 2025, underscores the growing vigilance of authorities in combating online extremism.

Hussain, operating under the X handle ‘@lewiswarren911,’ posted a series of messages between November 2023 and January 2024 that celebrated the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and expressed support for both Hamas and Hizballah, groups designated as terrorist organizations under UK law.

“This investigation started as the result of an anonymous report by a member of the public appalled by the content of Hussain’s X account,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

The posts also included antisemitic remarks, with Hussain praising Adolf Hitler’s actions, further amplifying public outrage.

The investigation was sparked by the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU), which identified the posts as violating terrorism legislation.

“Our CTIRU assessed the content of the posts as being in breach of terrorism legislation and a proactive investigation was launched,” Murphy explained, highlighting the role of public vigilance in initiating the case.

Hussain’s arrest in March 2024 followed a meticulous probe by the Counter Terrorism Command, building on evidence from his social media activity.

Hussain’s legal troubles were compounded by a prior conviction for malicious communications offenses in 2021 and 2022, where he sent threatening and abusive posts on X to the sister of a victim of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

At the time of his arrest, he was serving a suspended sentence for those offenses. On March 27, 2024, he faced charges at the Old Bailey, including four counts of supporting a proscribed organization under Section 12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000 and seven counts of publishing threatening, abusive, or insulting material under Section 19 of the Public Order Act.

On the first day of his trial, March 20, 2025, Hussain pleaded guilty to all charges. The court sentenced him to five years and eight months in prison, with an additional three years on extended license, reflecting the severity of his actions.

“This case demonstrates, yet again, that we will act when we receive information about social media content that is unlawful,” Murphy stated, emphasizing the Met’s commitment to prosecuting online extremism. “Those responsible can expect to be investigated and prosecuted where the evidence allows.”

The case has reignited debates about the role of social media in amplifying extremist ideologies, with sentiment on X reflecting alarm over the spread of such content. One user, @UKSafeGuard, posted, “Hussain’s posts were a wake-up call—social media can’t be a free pass for hate and terror.”