A Muslim activist convicted for his role in an armed terrorist plot is seeking election to Birmingham City Council in May. Prosecutors said the cell had been dispatched by Abu Hamza, the notorious hate preacher whose son was among those convicted. However, Butt continues to deny the terror conviction, claiming his confession was extracted under torture and that evidence was fabricated. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Now, the 60-year-old is standing in the Sparkhill ward for the Independent Candidates Alliance, an activist-led grouping expected to field around 20 candidates across Birmingham on May 7. Butt is standing in the Sparkhill ward for the Independent Candidates Alliance | GETTY“I am not an educated person,” he told the Birmingham Mail.