A London judge on Monday found British citizen Ali Harbi Ali, 26, guilty of murdering UK lawmaker David Amess.
Harbi Ali, a young man of Somali descent, was described by London's Old Bailey court as a "committed, fanatical, radicalised Islamist terrorist". He was also found guilty of preparation of terrorism.
"This was a horrific act of terrorism motivated by religious and ideological beliefs", said Nick Price, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division, as cited by Reuters. "Ali chose to commit this abhorrent crime for his own selfish and hateful reasons".
The suspect is said to have killed Amess as an act of revenge for the lawmaker voting in favour of airstrikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.
According to the Associated Press, the jury deliberated for just 18 minutes before finding Harbi Ali guilty. His sentence will be announced later on Wednesday.
"If I thought I did anything wrong, I wouldn't have done it," Harbi Ali reportedly told the court.
Amess was killed on 15 October 2021 during a meeting with voters that took place in a church. Harbi Ali stabbed him more than 20 times before the lawmaker died. The man was spotted by CCTV and charged with murder and preparing terrorist acts.
Amess' murder caused shockwaves in the United Kingdom, prompting calls for improving security for Members of Parliament.