BBC's Responsible AI chief previously jailed over immigration offenses, found with al-Qaeda manual
BBC's Responsible AI principal data scientist Hicham Yezza was previously arrested in an al-Qaeda manual probe and jailed for immigration offenses.
Hicham Yezza, now the Principal Data Scientist for Responsible AI at the BBC, had a past that included involvement with an al-Qaeda training manual and an immigration-related conviction. In May 2008, Yezza and his friend Rizwaan Sabir were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 in Nottingham after an al-Qaeda training manual was found on Yezza's work computer.
The document had been sent to Yezza by Sabir for printing purposes, not for operational use. Both men were released without charge after six days. Later, Yezza was rearrested and sentenced to nine months in prison in 2009 for an immigration offense related to his claim of valid permission to remain in Britain, where he was later released after five months and became a British citizen.
Returning from prison, Yezza started Ceasefire Magazine, a political and cultural publication. He also served as an Editorial Consultant for Al Jazeera and worked at the BBC for several years, including as a Senior Journalist in BBC Monitoring's Data Hub team. Despite his past, Yezza is currently responsible for guiding the BBC's approach to responsible AI use.
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