A female chemist, Rowaida El-Hassan, is strategizing her release from prison after serving seven years for planning a bomb attack during Christmas. El-Hassan, a former Boots pharmacist, was sentenced in 2018 for collaborating with Munir Mohammed, whom she met on a Muslim dating site. The duo shared beheading videos shortly after meeting, with Mohammed learning bomb-making techniques from an online manual used by the Manchester bomber.
El-Hassan received a 17-year prison term in 2018, which included a 12-year jail sentence and a five-year extended license. Despite this, she is actively seeking freedom and has refused to admit guilt for the crime. She contested a Parole Board decision that denied her release, arguing that her denial was unfairly emphasized without considering other risk-reducing factors. Additionally, it was discovered that she was covertly communicating with Mohammed while in prison.
However, Barbarah Mensah, representing the Parole Board, rejected El-Hassan’s appeal. Mohammed, from Derby, had initially received a life sentence with a minimum of 14 years, but Judge Michael Topolski, QC, later increased the minimum term to 21 years for planning the attack with El-Hassan. Mohammed, a Sudanese refugee, arrived in the UK in 2014 and sought asylum. He worked at Kerry Foods in Derby and pursued El-Hassan, attracted by her background as a qualified pharmacist.
The pair began communicating on WhatsApp and met in person near El-Hassan’s residence. Mohammed later connected with an individual he believed was an IS commander via Facebook, expressing his willingness to carry out a task in the UK. El-Hassan provided advice on the chemicals needed for making a bomb. The duo’s illegal activities were exposed during their trial at the Old Bailey, where Mohammed’s intentions to cause harm were revealed, leading to his increased prison sentence.
In light of these events, El-Hassan’s attempts to secure her release from prison have been met with resistance, as authorities remain vigilant about the potential risks associated with her early release.
