Rigby murder suspect tells court he should be 'ransomed back to the Mujhadeen', freed to an Islamic state or killed

 
9 December 2013
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One of the men accused of murdering soldier Lee Rigby today told a jury of his love for “my brothers” in al Qaeda.

Michael Adebolajo, 28, said he supported “holy war” and considered himself a Muslim warrior. He said he understood that “most non-Muslims hate my guts” for his actions. He said he was “disgusted” by the Iraq war and blamed Tony Blair for the death of one of his friends in the British Army who died in an explosion there.

Opening his defence from the witness box, Adebolajo said he regretted nothing and insisted “I am a soldier, I am a soldier, I am a soldier”.

Asked what he thought should happen to him now, he replied that he should be “ransomed back to the Mujhadeen”, freed to an Islamic state or killed.

He said he was “disgusted” by the Iraq war and blamed the then Prime Minister Tony Blair for the death of one of his friends killed in an explosion.

Watched by Mr Rigby’s family just a few yards away, he told them: “I have no animosity or bad feeling for them,” then added: “but they are not the only ones who feel pain in this country”.

He and Michael Adebowale, 22, are accused of running down Fusilier Rigby with a car and hacking him to death near Woolwich Barracks in May. Adebolajo sat calmly in the witness box between the judge and the jury. He was in place dressed in a tunic jacket buttoned to the neck and surrounded by three seated prison officers when the eight-woman, four-man jury filed into court.

Asked by his barrister David Gottlieb for his name, he replied in a low voice, Mujaahid Abu Hamza, although he had been referred to in court by his birth name.

Questioned about al-Qaeda, Adebolajo told the jury: “I consider them as a mujhadeen group.

“I love them, they are my brothers, I have never met them but I love them, I consider them my brothers in Islam.”

He went on: “I consider myself a mujhadeen, I hope.”

Asked about the Rigby family he said: “I don’t wish harm on them, I killed somebody they loved and who was dear to them but people I love and are dear to me are being killed as well.

“I hope his death may protect the lives of other soldiers who are being sent to die in an unjust war and Muslims who are being bombed and killed.”

Earlier he told the jury that he drew his political opinions from Allah and the Koran and “not what the majority of people say.”

“Most non-Muslims hate my guts because of my actions but that’s not my concern. My concern is: Does Allah love me?”

Adebolajo said he didn’t know 100 per cent that Lee Rigby was a soldier.

But he added: “There were some steps that we took before we set out that day. I prayed and begged Allah that we did not target anyone outside the military.

“He was carrying this type of bag, we recognised the type of bag. We waited also to ensure he was going towards the entrance to the barracks. These things combined gave me enough certainty that he was a soldier.

“I was keen that the reason for the death of this man is not misunderstood. I wanted people to understand that this is only happening for one reason, foreign policy.

“It continues to be my hope that the life of this one soldier might indirectly save the lives of many, many people both in the Muslim lands and this country.

“If you die truly and sincerely hoping for Allah’s pleasure than you will be considered a shaheed [martyr].”

The court heard that Adebolajo is married and has six children, including a seven-year-old boy.

He said that, growing up in Romford, the “vast majority” of his friends were white British, and one, Kirk Redpath, joined the Army and was later killed in Iraq.

Adebolajo said: “I hold Tony Blair responsible for his death.”

He said his favourite teacher at school was the first person to teach him about Adolf Hitler.

He told the court it showed him that “there are some very wicked people in the world”.

The 28-year-old was raised as a Christian.

He told the jury: “My parents used to take us to church every Sunday. The memory that sticks in my mind... is probably every New Year’s Eve in the evening around 11 o’clock we would gather around in candlelight and read passages from the Bible.”

Adebolajo said he had converted to Islam in his first year at Greenwich University where he was studying building surveying but did not complete his degree..

He told the jury: “My religion is everything.

“When I came to Islam I realised that... real success is not just what you can acquire, but really is if you make it to paradise, because then you can relax.”

When asked about his attitude to people in authority, he said: “Generally speaking, I don’t get along with them, generally. In most instances I don’t get along with authority, except for my mother and my father.”

As ground rules were set out for his giving evidence, including not speaking over the judge, he said: “I don’t believe in the law.”

He went on: “When I came to Islam, I realised that real success is if you make it to Paradise. Then you can relax and have as much property as you want.”

Asked about his view of British foreign policy, the father-of-six replied: “Even before I became a Muslim I didn’t agree with foreign policy. I would say it was the Iraq war that affected me the most. I saw Operation Shock and Awe unfold and I was disgusted.”

He became increasingly emotional, his head rocking from side to side as he told the court: “Growing up in this country, we believe only our lives are value. Our lives are not more valuable than another person in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“The love I feel for my mother is not greater than an Afghan man feels for his mother. Why is our lives more valuable than theirs. The British and Americans and French... Allah commands me that I fight them.’

Adebolajo said he had joined street demos against the Iraqi war but realised they achieved nothing. “It just allows you to let off steam, feel as if you are doing something. In my opinion even when one million people marched against the Iraq war, it did not change.”

“Growing up I never did think of killing a man. This is not the type of thing that the average child thinks of and I was no different.

“When a soldier joins the Army he perhaps has in his head an understanding that he will kill a man at some stage. When I became a mujahid I was aware that perhaps I might end up killing a soldier.”

In 2010 he tried to travel to Somalia but was captured in Kenya and brought back to the UK.

Adebolajo said: “There’s a lot more to the story but I won’t mention that.”

He told the jury that before he was arrested in Woolwich and imprisoned awaiting trial, he read most of the British press. “I read the Sun, the Mirror, the Mail. the Telegraph, the Guardian - my mum used to love the Guardian,” he said.

Father-of-one Fusilier Rigby, 25, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, died of multiple cut and stab wounds.

Adebolajo and Adebowale have both pleaded not guilty to murdering the Fusilier. They have also pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder a police officer, and conspiracy to murder a police officer.

Adebolajo has asked to be known as Mujaahid Abu Hamza in court, while Adebowale has asked to be called Ismail Ibn Abdullah.

The case continues.

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