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John Burton - Sentence of one of the "Cartoon Protesters" manifestly excessive.

Mr MR was the first defendant tried for solicitation to murder for his part in protests carried out as a result of a number of foreign newspapers printing cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Mr MR carried placards stating "behead those who insult Islam" and "annihilate those who insult Islam". He then made a speech containing references to Afghanistan and Iraq making suh comments as "Allah don't leave any of them alive in Iraq", "we want to see them coming home in bodybags", "we want to see another 9/11 ... all over Europe" and "Bomb, bomb France, Nuke nuke France". Mr MR was convicted of solicitation to murder and sentenced to six years imprisonment.

On the 2nd October 2008 John Burton persuaded the Court of Appeal that this sentence was manifestly excessive and the Court reduced the sentence to one of four years.

9 October 2008

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