UK-born Choudary has been related to completely different radical outfits
By:
Pramod Thomas
A radical Islamist preacher with twin British and Pakistani nationality charged with three terrorism-related offences will face a trial in Could subsequent 12 months, a UK courtroom dominated on Friday (4).
Anjem Choudary, 56, was arrested at his house in east London by the Metropolitan Police final month and charged with membership of a proscribed (banned) organisation, addressing conferences to encourage assist for a proscribed organisation, and directing a terrorist organisation beneath completely different sections of the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000.
He appeared earlier than the Outdated Bailey courtroom in London by way of a videolink on Friday, when a provisional trial date was set for Could 20.
A Canadian nationwide, 28-year-old Khaled Hussein, who was additionally arrested in a associated counter-terrorism inquiry on fees of membership of a proscribed organisation can even face trial subsequent 12 months.
Each males had been remanded into custody to look earlier than Kingston Crown Court docket on January 5, 2024.
“On Monday, July 17, Met counter-terrorism detectives investigating alleged membership of a proscribed organisation arrested a 56-year-old man in east London and a 28-year-old Canadian nationwide at Heathrow Airport, after he arrived on a flight,” the Met Police had mentioned in an announcement on the time of charging the suspects final month.
“They had been held beneath Part 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and detectives had been granted warrants of additional detention permitting them to detain the boys till Monday, July 24,” the assertion added.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) informed the courtroom on the time that Choudary spoke on-line to weekly small teams from June 2022 till his arrest, giving lectures on the institution of an Islamic State in Britain. Co-accused Hussein is claimed to have successfully labored for Choudary in Canada.
“The fees relate to the proscribed organisation Al Muhajiroun, also referred to as the Islamic Thinkers Society. Legal proceedings in opposition to Choudary and Hussein are actually energetic and so they every have the correct to a good trial,” mentioned Nick Value, from the CPS counter terrorism division.
“This can be very necessary that there must be no reporting, commentary or sharing of knowledge on-line which might in any manner prejudice these proceedings. The operate of the CPS is to not resolve whether or not an individual is responsible of a legal offence, however to make truthful, unbiased and goal assessments about whether or not it’s acceptable to current fees for a legal courtroom to think about,” he mentioned.
UK-born Choudary has been related to completely different radical outfits, together with the now-banned Islamist group Al Muhajiroun.
He was launched from London’s high-security Belmarsh jail again in 2018 the place he was held after being convicted by the Outdated Bailey courtroom in London in September 2016 for radical preaching and calling on Muslims to assist the terrorist group the daesh.
(PTI)
