Statutory Inquiry launched into the death of Rochdale Imam Jalal Uddin
The Home Office has announced a statutory inquiry will be launched into the murder of an Imam in a children's play area.
Jalal Uddin, a 71-year-old Imam from Rochdale, was bludgeoned to death on 18 February 2016.
Mr Uddin, who had young grandchildren, was a former Imam at the Jalalia Jaame Mosque on Trafalgar Street, Rochdale.
The statutory inquiry will look to determine whether Jalal's killers should have been considered as known risks for Islamic extremism by the authorities.
Following his death, a police investigation concluded that Jalal was murdered by Oldham-based Mohammed Kadir who acted together with Manchester United Steward Mohammed Hussain Syeedy, from Rochdale.
Kadir, then 24, is believed to have dealt the fatal blows that killed Jalal. In the days after his death, Kadir travelled to Istanbul and has not returned to the UK since.
However, Mohammed Syeedy did stand trial for his crimes at Manchester Crown Court.
During his trial, a jury heard that Syeedy "assisted and encouraged the attack" and drove Kadir to the scene.
Both men developed a hatred of the Imam after he began to use a form of healing involving amulets, known as taweez.
The pair were both supporters of ISIS, which considered taweez to be black magic.
Mohammed Syeedy was found guilty, and was sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison.
An inquest began shortly after Jalal Uddin's death, but was paused during Syeedy's trial. It eventually resumed in November 2020.
When it resumed, Judge Patrick Field KC said in a written judgment the evidence gave rise "to a credible suggestion that Kadir represented a present and continuing risk to the lives of members of society at large, that the authorities knew or ought to have known of that risk; and that they failed to take measures to avoid it.
"Indeed, to suggest otherwise given the knowledge that we have of the deadly actions of Islamist extremists on numerous other occasions, seems illogical."
The inquest continued for another year, however Judge Field eventually had to withdraw from the process in September 2021 after one of his relatives began working for Greater Manchester Police.
The role has now been taken on the country's chief coroner, Judge Thomas Teague KC.
The Home Office announced that, at his request, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman approved its conversion into a statutory inquiry so that 'all relevant evidence' can be heard, No date or location for the hearing have yet been announced.
In a statement issued on 9 November, before Suella Braverman was removed from her role, the Home Office said: "The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has today announced the establishment of an inquiry into the death of Jalal Uddin.
"In November 2022 the Coroner, His Honour Judge Teague KC, Chief Coroner of England and Wales, requested the inquest be converted to a statutory inquiry in order to permit all relevant evidence to be heard.
"Judge Teague will fulfil the role of chair. The conduct and delivery of the Inquiry are a matter for the chair."
There is no indication that the removal of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary will impede the statutory inquiry, and the Home Office has said "as far as we are aware the inquiry is still going ahead".
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