A Kuwaiti man who tried to enter Israel's embassy in London armed with two knives and carrying a "martyrdom note" was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, with a minimum term of 20 years, after being convicted of preparing an act of terrorism.
Abdullah Albadri, 34, attempted to breach the embassy's perimeter in west London in April 2025 before being stopped by armed police officers guarding the site.
Prosecutors said Albadri wanted to attack the embassy in revenge for Israel's actions in Gaza. Evidence presented at trial showed he had researched the embassy's location, carried two knives and was in possession of a note indicating his intention to die as a martyr.
A jury at London's Old Bailey found him guilty in May of preparing an act of terrorism and possessing two bladed articles.
He was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years for the terrorism offense.
Albadri applied for asylum in UK twice before attempted attack
Prosecutor Catherine Pattison said that Albadri first came to Britain on a small boat in August 2021, but about two years later, after withdrawing an application for permission to stay, he appeared to have left the country.
On April 12, 2025, he again arrived in Dover by small boat and began an asylum application, saying he had left Kuwait for his and his family's safety because he was a human rights activist.
However, exchanges on his phone showed his asylum claim was rejected on April 24, after which his intention began to shift to "far more sinister matters" and he started searching for the location of the Israeli embassy, Pattison said.
On the afternoon of April 28, Albadri sent his mother a picture of a handwritten note alongside a knife.
Hours later, officers detained Albadri after the almost succeeded in scaling the fence outside the embassy, Pattison said.
"'Why didn't you let me in?'" Pattison said he asked them.