- Irbahim Hassan and Shah Hussain jailed for three years over hate speeches
- Hassan had claimed to be a friend of Lee Rigby killer Michael Adebolajo
- Both men had previous convictions for encouraging terrorism in 2008 rally
- They were heavily linked to Adebolajo through banned extremist group
An extremist friend of the man who hacked soldier Lee Rigby to death with a meat cleaver has been jailed for three years - after calling for holy war against Britain.
Ibrahim Hassan, 28, and his co-accused Shah Hussain, 31, published hate-filled speeches online two days after Fusilier Rigby was killed by Michael Adebolajo on May 22 last year.
British Muslim Hassan, also known as Abu Nusaybah, was arrested moments after filming an interview with BBC Newsnight claiming to be a friend of Adebolajo.
An extremist friend of Michael Adebolajo, Ibrahim Hassan, pictured left, and his co-accused Shah Hussain, right, have both been jailed for three years for calling for holy war against Britain and America
Michael Adebolajo shows a bloodied hand and knives following the murder of soldier Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich in May last year
On the show he claimed Adebolajo had been tortured in Kenya, and had been offered a job by MI5.
Hussain was arrested days later as part of the same investigation.
Both men have previous convictions for encouraging terrorism at a 2008 rally, and are heavily linked to Adebolajo through banned terror extremist group, al-Muhajiroun.
Judge Nicholas Hilliard, the Common Sergeant of London, told them: 'This is the second time that each of you has been before a court for an offence contrary to the Terrorism Act. That increases the gravity of the offences and I am sure both of you knew that you were playing with fire.
'Only time will tell whether your beliefs have really changed.'
Both men showed no reaction as they walked down to the cells.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said: 'Police became aware that Hassan was providing a pre-recorded interview to BBC Newsnight on Friday, 24 May and they duly attended and arrested him.
'The interview shows him endeavouring to mitigate for the actions of Michael Adebolajo, the murderer of Lee Rigby, due to his having been tortured in Kenya six months before and allegedly harassed by the secret services.
'However Hassan also makes it plain that if he had known of the planned attack he would have sought to dissuade Adebolajo from it, and that he was horrified by it.'
Drummer Lee Rigby, pictured, of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was attacked and killed by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. Now extremist friends of Adebolajo have been jailed for calling for a holy war against Britain
The two men met in 2004 at meetings of the banned fundamentalist terror group founded by hate preachers Omar Bakri Muhammed and Anjem Choudary.
In 2008, they were each jailed for two years after being filmed encouraging terrorism at a rally outside the Regents Park Mosque.
In his speech, Hassan said: 'My dear Muslim brothers, I urge you right now, Sheikh Osama Bin Laden has already told us that these kafirs will never be pleased with us.
'We should be preparing, all of you should be training for jihad.'
He threatened to kill Tony Blair and called him a 'coward'.
'By Allah, myself I'll go for Tony Blair when his cover is broken,' he said.
'Tony Blair is the enemy to me. By Allah if I get the opportunity I will assassinate, put him in a grave.
'Tony Blair's a pig, he's a kafir, he's a kafir. George Bush the same message to him.
'I'll cut your neck off.'
Hussain said in his speech that he would 'slaughter' George Bush if he were to see him and had a knife.
Both admitted disseminating a terrorist publication relating to an audio file of a speech by the deceased radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki which called for the execution of anyone who insulted the prophet Mohammed.
Michael Adebolajo, left, was given a whole-life jail term after murdering Lee Rigby in Woolwich last year while Michael Adebowale, right, was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 45 years
Hassan also admitted encouraging terrorism related to video lectures entitled In Pursuit of Allah's Governance on the Earth.
Hussain admitted encouraging terrorism in a video lecture entitled 'Signs of a Good Death in Islam'.
One of the signs he mentioned was 'death on the battlefield' by fighting against British and American forces to earn martyrdom and a place in paradise.
Others included death by plague, fire, pleurisy, drowning, abdominal illness and under a collapsed building.
Hussain ran a website hosting his own lectures, links to videos features preachers including Abu Hamza, Abu Qatada, and Khalid al-Husainan, and a text called 'Reality of the Rulers' by Abu Zubair Adil al-Adab.
He also hosted a video of a speech given by Khalid al-Husainan and a text called 'Reality of the Rulers' written by Abu Zubair Adil al-Adab.
The court heard Hassan came to the UK from Somalia in 1995 with his sister and converted to Islam in around 2004.
He has two children with one partner and two-step children with another.
Pall bearers carry the coffin of Lee Rigby into Bury Parish Church for an overnight vigil following his brutal murder. Now extremist friends of one of his killers have been jailed for calling for holy war against Britain
Mohammed Hossain, representing Hassan, said Hassan had left Al-Muhajiroun in 2010 and had made the 'utterly stupid' lectures to please his audience of former colleagues.
Hassan wrote a letter claiming he did not excuse or condone the Lee Rigby murder and was 'shocked' by Adebolajo's actions.
Lawrence McNulty, for Hussain, said that his client had also left Al Muhajiroun before it was proscribed by the Government and had changed his views.
Hussain, of Cannon Street Road, Whitechapel, east London, and Abdullah-Hassan, of Carr Road, Walthamstow, east London, both admitted disseminating terrorist material and encouraging or inciting terrorism on or before May 24 last year.
Hussain was jailed for three years concurrent on each count while Hussain was jailed for three years for dissemination and 28 months concurrent for encouraging terrorism.
Michael Adebolajo, 29, was found guilty of murdering Fusilier Rigby outside Woolwich Barracks and is currently serving a whole-life sentence.
Michael Adebowale, 22, is serving a life sentence for the murder, with a minimum term of 45 years.
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