Parole board allows Roshonara Choudhry to walk free despite stabbing MP
- Roshonara Choudhry, a student inspired by radical online lectures, attempted to assassinate MP Sir Stephen Timms in May 2010.
- She faced imprisonment for life with a minimum of 15 years but has now been recommended for release based on her rehabilitation progress.
- The Parole Board concluded that she does not present a danger to the public, stirring debate about rehabilitation and public safety.
In May 2010, Roshonara Choudhry, a then 21-year-old student at King’s College London, attempted to murder Labour MP Sir Stephen Timms. The attack, carried out during a constituency surgery at the Beckton Globe community centre in East London, was reportedly inspired by radical teachings of an al Qaida cleric that she had consumed online. Pretending to extend her hand for a handshake, she stabbed Timms in the stomach twice, which marked a significant and alarming moment in the context of political violence in the UK, being the first al Qaida-inspired attempt to assassinate a politician on British soil. Upon her arrest, Choudhry detailed her actions as a “punishment to get revenge for the people of Iraq.” In November 2010, Choudhry was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years for attempted murder and possession of offensive weapons. Subsequent years revealed her efforts in prison aimed at understanding and relinquishing her extreme beliefs, leading to her exemplary behavior behind bars. After a Parole Board hearing on May 20, 2025, it was announced that Choudhry could be released under strict conditions. The panel evaluated her situation, ultimately deciding that she no longer posed a risk to the public, having shown remarkable insight and an ability to critically evaluate information and engage healthier coping strategies. Upon her release, she will be subject to specific conditions, including a designated living address, curfews, and exclusion zones to prevent any contact with Sir Stephen Timms. The decision raised significant discussions around public safety and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs within the criminal justice system.