A 22-year-old Somali-born man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in the United Kingdom after travelling to Somalia in an unsuccessful attempt to join the Islamic State (ISIS), with a court hearing how online extremist content and contact with the group’s recruiters influenced his plans.
Mohamed Mohamoud, a former security guard who lived in Bristol, travelled to East Africa in January 2025, hoping to reach ISIS fighters in Somalia. However, he failed to make contact with the militants because of counter-terrorism operations and returned to the UK on March 3, 2025, about two months after leaving.
Mohamoud was convicted of preparing acts of terrorism following a trial at Winchester Crown Court in August 2026. He was subsequently sentenced at the Old Bailey in London, where the judge said the defendant had made extensive efforts to join the extremist organisation but had been prevented by circumstances beyond his control.
“You did everything you could to join ISIS, and you were prevented by circumstances beyond your control,” Judge Mr Justice Lickley told Mohamoud during sentencing.
The case has drawn attention to the routes through which extremist organisations seek to recruit supporters, including social media platforms and private messaging services. Evidence presented in court showed that Mohamoud had become increasingly radicalised in 2024 after regularly watching extremist videos on YouTube and TikTok.
Mohamoud was born in Somalia and moved to the UK in 2017 to join members of his family. Prosecutors said his online activity later developed into direct contact with individuals associated with ISIS recruitment, as he sought help to travel to Somalia and join the group.
How YouTube, TikTok and Telegram Featured in the Case
The court heard that Mohamoud watched extremist material online before attempting to travel to Somalia. Investigators also uncovered communications suggesting that he had interacted with artificial intelligence chatbots reportedly used by ISIS to screen prospective recruits.
Messages recovered from Telegram showed that he had sought assistance with travelling to Somalia to join what he described as the “Mujaahidiin”. In one message, he indicated that his principal objective was to achieve martyrdom.
Prosecutor Naomi Parsons told the court that Mohamoud had reached Somalia but could not get to ISIS fighters because of the intensity of the conflict. His inability to reach the militants meant that his intended plan did not proceed as he had hoped.
The case also revealed that Mohamoud remained in contact with people involved in recruiting fighters for ISIS after returning to Britain. In one message, he indicated that he was prepared to return whenever they instructed him to do so.
Investigators found videos on his mobile phone showing ISIS propaganda, including beheadings, shootings and scenes from battlefields. Messages sent after his return to the UK also indicated that he continued to express a desire to sacrifice his life for what he described as jihad.
ISIS Offer to Work as a Spy
The court heard that ISIS had offered Mohamoud a role as a spy, but he declined because he feared his family connections in Somalia would make him easy to identify.
His mobile phone also provided investigators with information about his movements during his stay in the country. The data showed that he had visited several locations in Somalia between January and March 2025.
UK counter-terrorism police arrested him approximately a year after his return. The evidence recovered from his phone subsequently formed part of the case against him.
Although Mohamoud had travelled to Somalia intending to join ISIS, the prosecution’s account did not establish that he had reached the group’s fighters or participated in combat.
Defence Argues He Had Recognised His Mistake
During the sentencing proceedings, Mohamoud’s lawyer, Dominic Thomas, acknowledged that his client had made foolish and troubling statements after returning to Britain. However, the defence argued that he had made no attempt to travel back to Somalia.
Thomas told the court that Mohamoud had gone to Somalia intending to fight and die, but that the circumstances on the ground had changed, with ISIS losing bases and territory. The lawyer also argued that his client had since come to recognise the error of his plans and that his family was opposed to the extremist group.
Judge Lickley acknowledged that it was unclear what specific role Mohamoud would have undertaken had he reached the battlefield. Nevertheless, the judge agreed with the prosecution’s assessment of the danger associated with the conflict zone in Somalia.
The judge described the area as a place where death was a serious prospect for anyone entering the fighting, particularly a new recruit. He also warned that Mohamoud continued to pose a significant risk to the public unless he changed his extremist beliefs.
The court consequently imposed a 12-year prison sentence, concluding proceedings against the 22-year-old over his attempt to travel to Somalia and join ISIS.