A man has been charged with assisting the Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad al-Shamie with earlier reconnaissance on a UK defence facility.
Mohammad Bashir, 31, was charged with four terrorism offences, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Bashir, of Cheetham Hill, Manchester, who was arrested at Manchester airport on 27 November, was charged with one count of preparation for acts of terror and three counts of dissemination of terrorist publications.
Frank Ferguson, the chief crown prosecutor of the CPS’s special crime and counter-terrorism division, said: “Today, we have decided to prosecute Mohammad Bashir with terrorism offences – following a Counter Terrorism Policing North West investigation into his conduct linked to Jihad al-Shamie.
“Our prosecutors have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge Mohammad Bashir with one offence of preparation of terrorist acts and three offences of sharing terrorist publications with … Shamie and others with the intent to encourage acts of terrorism.
“We have worked closely with Counter Terrorism Policing North West as they carried out their investigation.”
Rob Potts, an assistant chief constable at Greater Manchester police, said Bashir had been charged “with a number of terrorism offences, including preparation for acts of terrorism” and that the charges were not “directly linked to the terrorist attack which took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue but have come as a result of enquiries conducted by our investigation team”.
He added that Bashir had been released without charge in relation to the terrorist attack, but was remanded in custody to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Friday in connection with the latest charges.
“Our investigation into the attack remains live and I would continue to appeal to anyone with information that could potentially be of assistance to please come forward.
“I would also like to once again thank members of the community for their continued patience and support as we conduct our enquiries.”
