Somali cleared of terror charge

A Somali man accused of using Britain as a base from which to encourage jihad-style terrorism across the world was found not guilty today.

Ahmed Mohamed, 33, was accused of disseminating terrorist publications and fundraising contrary to the Terrorism Act between January 2006 and May last year.

Prosecutors said he disseminated the material on websites he ran, justifying martyrdom operations and supporting the cause of al-Qa'ida.

But after two weeks of deliberation, a jury of six men and six women at Kingston Crown Court in south west London acquitted him on two counts.

His co-defendant, Musse Yusuf, 32, was also found not guilty of one count of the same crime.

But the jury is still deliberating on whether he is guilty on four counts of possession of a document or record for terrorist purpose in May last year.