Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary in court charged with terror offences
The 56-year-old from Ilford in east London is remanded in custody after appearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court charged with three terror offences.
Monday 24 July 2023 14:56, UK
Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary has appeared in court accused of terror offences relating to the banned Al-Muhajiroun group.
The 56-year-old from Ilford in east London was arrested last Monday - along with Khaled Hussein, 28, who was detained at Heathrow Airport after arriving on a flight the same day.
Choudary was on Sunday charged with three terror offences, including an allegation that he "directed the activities of an organisation which was concerned in the commission of acts of terrorism" on or before 17 July.
He is also accused of belonging to the proscribed organisation Al-Muhajiroun on or before the same date.
The third charge accuses him of addressing a meeting to encourage support for the group - which was banned by the government in 2010 - between 11 June last year and 17 July this year.
He is alleged to have provided lectures to the Islamic Thinkers Society, which is Al-Muhajiroun "for all intents and purposes", the court heard.
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Choudary spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address when he appeared in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday for a hearing which lasted around 30 minutes.
Hussein, from Edmonton in Alberta, Canada, appeared at the same court charged with membership of the same proscribed organisation on or before 17 July.
Neither entered pleas to any of the charges.
Choudary applied for bail - but both men were remanded in custody ahead of their next court appearance at the Old Bailey in central London on 4 August.