Yasser Al-Sirri, 63, a former member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, claimed asylum in Britain in the 1990s after the failed assassination attempt on then-Prime Minister Atef Sedki in 1993. The plot involved a car bomb outside a girls' school, which resulted in the death of a 12-year-old girl. An Egyptian court sentenced Al-Sirri to death in his absence.
Despite initial asylum rejections, Al-Sirri has reportedly been involved in repeated legal challenges to remain in the UK. In 2021, the Court of Appeal ruled in his favor, allowing him refugee status, a decision that came after a lengthy legal battle costing British taxpayers. The Home Office has declined to comment on individual cases.
Al-Sirri has been located at a £500,000 flat in Maida Vale, west London, and is reportedly involved in a honey and wholesale food and drink business in northwest London. Employees at the business initially stated Al-Sirri was unavailable when approached by a reporter, despite his car being present. He was later seen in his office but declined to speak.
Local businesses in the area know him as "Hajj" and have noted his daily routine, including walking towards the mosque around 5 p.m. He was described by former Tory MP Patrick Mercer as a "dangerous individual."
Court documents indicate Al-Sirri viewed "violent jihad" as an obligation for Muslims. He has also defended Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. Following bin Laden's death, Al-Sirri was quoted as saying, "The al Qaeda leader met his God willingly but in an unplanned manner and he died an honourable death." In 2003, he was indicted in New York by a Grand Jury on charges of conspiring to provide material support to the Islamist group Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, though the US did not pursue extradition from Britain. Al-Sirri also openly supported Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, who was sentenced to life in the United States for plotting "urban terrorism."