Three found guilty over 'death penalty' pamphlet

Three Muslim men have been found guilty of stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation after distributing a leaflet that said Islam called for anyone caught committing homosexual acts to be executed.

Ihjaz Ali, Kabir Ahmed and Razwan Javed handed out the pamphlet, titled The Death Penalty?, which quoted Islamic texts saying capital punishment was the only way to rid society of homosexuality. They were convicted by a jury at Derby Crown Court of distributing threatening written material intending to stir up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, in the first prosecution of its kind since legislation came into force in March 2010.

Mehboob Hussain and Umar Javed, charged with the same offence, were found not guilty.