A British man, Gabriel Budasz, 24, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for encouraging terrorism, including inciting violence against Jewish communities. Budasz was found guilty on four

charges of encouraging terrorism, along with counts of distributing terrorist propaganda and sending messages intended to cause distress or anxiety.

Budasz, originally from Poland and residing in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, UK, shared detailed instructions online for creating explosives from household items. He also produced a 3D-printed gun and posted materials that praised extremist figures and violent acts. Judge Brian Forster, delivering the sentence, pointed to Budasz’s engagement with white supremacist ideologies and his disturbing admiration for terrorists, including the perpetrator of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks in New Zealand.

“You distributed instructions on how to build a bomb, with the intention of encouraging terrorism,” Judge Forster stated, noting Budasz’s tweets and other messages promoting violence. Some of his online content included graphic videos and detailed instructions on torture and murder, posted on Telegram.

The investigation began when the Community Security Trust (CST), a British Jewish security organization, flagged Budasz’s social media activity in September 2022, subsequently gathering evidence and reporting it to counter-terrorism police by mid-2023. Budasz was arrested on August 1, 2023.

During his trial, Budasz argued his posts were meant to be humorous portrayals of a far-right character. However, Judge Forster dismissed this defense, stating there was no link between Budasz’s mental health and his crimes. Evidence seized from his home included extremist materials, masks, memorabilia, and a 3D-printed firearm, underscoring his commitment to violent ideologies. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski from Berkeley, USA, Wikimedia commons.