UK citizen guilty of murder call

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Umran Javed, 27, was said to have been one of the leaders of the demonstration against the publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed.

Javed, of Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, was recorded on video by the police and arrested later, said David Perry QC, prosecuting at the Old Bailey.

Javed was found guilty of soliciting murder and stirring up racial hatred, and remanded in custody until sentencing in April.

There were shouts of protest from the public gallery as the verdicts were returned on the second day after the jury retired.

Mr Perry said the demonstration of Muslims on February 3, last year, was to protest about the cartoons printed in Denmark and then re-produced in some European countries.

He said Javed used a loud hailer to address around 40 people outside the Danish embassy in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge. "He appeared to be one of the leaders," said Mr Perry.

Mr Perry said: "He addressed the crowd in terms which encouraged killing and incited racial hatred."

Javed had continued with his speech as the crowd were joined by 200-300 other Muslims who had marched from the central mosque in Regent's Park.

He condemned the cartoons as dishonouring Mohammed and accused "non-believers of declaring war against Islam and the Muslim community", said Mr Perry.

"He said disbelievers would pay a heavy price... and said Denmark would pay with blood." Javed told his audience to take lessons from the murder of a Dutch film director who was murdered and the slaughter of Jews.

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