UK: Outrage as Brother of Lee Rigby Killer Claims Judge was ‘Islamophobic’ and the Murderer ‘Posed No Danger to the Public’

Daily Mail
March 28, 2014

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The only son of Lee Rigby, Jack, holds the hands of the loved-ones as he attended his father’s funeral in July.

The brother of one of Lee Rigby’s murderers said today that the decision to give his sibling a whole life prison sentence was Islamophobic.

Jeremiah Adebolajo believes Michael Adebolajo should not be forced to die behind bars and claims the judge in his Old Bailey trial caved in to ‘pressure’ after ‘gave the public what they wanted’.

Last month Adebolajo, 29, was given a whole-life term, while Michael Adebowale, 22, was jailed for life with a minimum of 45 years.

Adebolajo was given the longest possible sentence because the judge believed he had no hope of rehabilitation, but his brother said today if released he would ‘pose no danger to the public’ and ‘lead a very productive life were he to be released’.

The British-born extremists mowed down Fusilier Rigby in a car before hacking him to death in the street in front of horrified onlookers near Woolwich Barracks in south-east London in May last year.

They both claimed that they were ‘soldiers of Allah’ and were motivated by the plight of Muslims abroad to carry out the killing, and have shown no remorse.

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Michael Adebolajo described himself as a ‘soldier of Allah’ and attempted to decapitate Drummer Rigby, but his brother Jeremiah says he was only given a life sentence because the judge was Islamophobic.

Today Jeremiah Adebolajo, who like his brother is a Muslim convert, told the BBC Radio 5 Live today that his sibling was unfairly treated.

He pointed to the sentencing of Pavlo Lapshyn, who was jailed for 40 years for killing a man and planning to bomb three mosques to start a ‘race war’ in Britain.

‘It seems strange to me that a man can be sentence to (whole) life for the death of one man and another can be sentenced to 40 years for the death of one and the attempted murder of many others,’ he told Victoria Derbyshire.

‘I wonder what the difference is here, aside from the guilty plea, aside from that I see that someone has died in both cases.

‘It seems strange that Justice Sweeney can suggest there is no prospect of rehabilitation for my brother but there is for the Ukrainian man who openly stated he wanted to start a race war

‘Yes (it is Islamophobic). Not only that I think it was trial by the public. There was a lot of public outrage, as could be understood. The death of a soldier in any country would provoke that, but I would suggest that Justice Sweeney was giving in to that pressure’.

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The BBC has received lots of criticism for allowing the brother air time.

During their sentencing last month violence broke out in the Old Bailey dock and the killers began hurling abuse at the judge and fighting with prison guards.

In extraordinary scenes, the two Muslim extremists yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘You (Britain) and America will never be safe’ during their sentencing at the court in Central London.

Shocking: A blood-drenched Michael Adebolajo (pictured) told witnesses in a video his attack on Drummer Rigby was an act of revenge – ‘an eye for an eye’

Justice Sweeney was forced to jail them while they banged on the ceilings of their cells below the courtroom.

The judge said the pair’s behaviour was ‘sickening and pitiless’, and that Adebolajo had no hope of rehabilitation.

‘Your sickening and pitiless conduct was in stark contrast to the compassion and bravery shown by the various women at the scene who tended to Lee Rigby’s body and challenged what you had done and said.’

Jeremiah Adebolajo also said his brother should not have been tried for murder.

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After sentencing began the two killers chimped out in the court room and shouted at Mr Justice Sweeney in protest at his remarks. They had to be pinned to the ground by several security guards and taken back to the cells.

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