Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary faces May trial on terrorism charges

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistribu

The trial of radical British preacher Anjem Choudary on a charge of leading a terrorist organization will start in May of next year, a judge said Friday.

Choudary, 56, is also charged with two other counts under the Terrorism Act: membership in a banned organization, the radical Muslim group al-Muhajiroun, and addressing meetings to encourage support for the organization over the past year.

The British government outlawed Al-Muhajiroun in 2010. The group has since operated under many names, including the Islamic Thinkers Society, prosecutors said.

Choudary, a high-profile Islamist preacher, appeared for his preliminary hearing in Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, by video link from a jail in Yorkshire. The gray-bearded and bespectacled Choudary wore a white robe.

A co-defendant, Khaled Hussein, 28, a Canadian citizen, appeared by video from a jail in South London.

Hussein, of Edmonton, Alberta, is charged with membership in al-Muhajiroun. Prosecutors said he worked online with Choudary to provide a platform for the group’s views.

Neither man entered a plea, and each only spoke to confirm their identities.

Justice Jeremy Baker scheduled a plea hearing for Jan. 5 and a provisional trial date of May 20 in Kingston Crown Court.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.